


My Next Door Neighbour Kakashi

by starcowboy



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:48:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 30,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27761752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starcowboy/pseuds/starcowboy
Summary: Mariko comes back to Konoha after spending a few years away training and meets her next door neighbour, Kakashi. Before long the two begin to develop a connection...Could it be friendship, or more? ;^)
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	1. Neighbour

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally on wattpad but I am going to be revising it and posting it here! New chapters will be updated on both platforms!

I walked through the gates of the village, my bag slung on my shoulder, weighing me down. Four **years** since I had been here. I had been away training and I had passed the Chunin exam since then. I walked down the road towards the Hokage's office, passing familiar faces, most of whom didn't seem to recognize me at first glance but would quickly realize who I was and stop me to ask how everything had been with my training over the last few years.

I looked up at the building where the Hokage's office was. After this I would be able to go back to my old apartment and relax. I climbed up the steps and knocked on the door. I heard the Third's voice beckoning me to come in.

"Mariko! You've grown so much since I last saw you. How was your training?" he inquired.

"It went well, I really feel like I've improved my skills quite a bit," I answer, using posh and polite diction.

"Well, your first mission isn't going to be for another few days, you just got back after all. You need some time to rest," continued the Hokage. I nodded and was swiftly dismissed.

As soon as I was out on the street, I started speed-walking towards my apartment. _Just one more block,_ I thought as I turned the corner and found myself standing in front of the building. I opened the door and climbed up to the second, and top, floor, trudging along the last few meters of hallway before reaching my apartment door on the end. I fiddled with the keys and eventually got the door open. As soon as the door closed I drop my bag with a huge thud.

"I'm home!" I exclaim to no one in particular, unless the neighbours can hear me through the thin walls. Across the living room, I spot my baritone ukulele still on the sofa where I left it in a hurry. I stand up and walk over to it, strumming it. It makes a horrible noise. Definitely needs tuning after four years. And my playing will definitely be rusty, but I still remember some simple tunes.

I remember when I used to sit on the balcony and play. I share the balcony with my next door neighbour, but he's almost always out. My side of the balcony has plants and an old chair. Speaking of those plants...

I head to my room and open the backdoor to the balcony, expecting to see dead plants. To my surprise, not only are they prospering but there are more than when I left and they stretch out towards the other side of the balcony too. _Guess my neighbour found a new hobby._ I sit on my usual chair and start strumming a song.

I would've continued if I hadn't been startled by my neighbour who opened the other door on the balcony, frightening me.

"Oh, you're back," he says. I've never really seen him. His silver hair is spikey and slightly droops to one side of his face, held up by his forehead protector that covers his left eye. He wears a mask that covers the bottom half of his face. His uncovered eye is a piercing dark colour. He wears a green vest with a dark long sleeved top underneath and navy blue genie pants with sandals. In his right hand is a watering can.

"I took care of your plants while you were away," he continues, laughing a bit as he starts watering the plants closest to him. I mumble a "thanks" before getting up and going back inside, though I leave the door open to let a fresh breeze in.

I go into the kitchen and put the kettle on leaving my ukulele on the table.

"So what's your name?" I hear him say from the balcony doorway, I can just catch a glimpse of him watering the plants near my door.

"Mariko, what about you?" I ask hesitantly.

"Kakashi," he replies, placing the watering can on my chair.

"Do you want some tea?" I ask as I take out a cup for myself.

"That would be nice, actually," he answers, and I can tell he's smiling underneath his mask. I take out a second cup. Soon after, the tea is ready and I fill up both cups and bring them to the balcony.

I find Kakashi sitting on the balcony his back to the wall in between our two apartments reading some sort of porn. I place the cups in front of him and lean my back against one of the chair legs.

"Thanks," he says picking up one of the cups. My cup, actually. I was going to use my favourite mug but I guess I can't anymore. I take the other cup, slightly annoyed.

"So where have you been these past few years?" He questions, never breaking his gaze from his book.

"I was doing some training away from Konoha to pass the Chunin exam," I state briefly.

"Well I'm sure your apartment is dusty as hell since you've been away for so long," he jokes. Who does this guy think he is? Not that he's wrong, in fact one of the reasons I'm leaving my door open is because the air in the apartment is stale and the full of dust. But still.

"Yeah, I'll need to clean it," I answer reluctantly.

"If you need help, I'll gladly be of service," he continues, glancing over at me only slightly.

"I guess that would be helpful..." I reply.

"So it's settled then," he starts, finishing his cup of tea, "I'll be at your place tomorrow to help you clean up, 8am sharp." He gets up and heads back into his apartment, still holding my cup. He winks at me before closing his door, or at least I think it was a wink. I sigh and go back into my own apartment.

I fall back onto my bed, warm sunlight beaming through the window. I close my eyes and drift to sleep.

☆☆☆☆☆

When I wake up, it's seven o'clock. My stomach feels extremely empty. I get up and out of habit, look in the fridge. Of course, it's empty. I slip on my shoes and leave the apartment.

Just as I close the door I hear a voice to my right.

"Yo." I turn to see Kakashi leaving his apartment as well.

"Where are you off to?" He asks me.

"I need to buy food," I answer.

"Well why don't we go out for dinner instead? My treat," he says. I swear that was a wink again and not just him blinking.

"Sure," I reply smiling. We make small talk as we make our way to Ichiraku ramen.

"Hope you like ramen," he says as we step inside. We seat ourselves and order.

"You took my cup earlier," I begin saying, not sure where the conversation is going.

"Oh yeah. I'll get that back to you...eventually," he answers, turning to face me. He kind of just stares not making conversation.

"It's rude to stare at people, y'know," I state hoping he'll stop. He closes his eye and turns back to face forward. Our orders of food arrive. When I'm half done, I turn to Kakashi.

"Thanks for this." He glances over at me. His food is gone, but I swear he didn't take off his mask.

"No problem." He pauses for a long time before sighing and taking out some money to pay the bill. He gets up.

"Well I guess I'll see you around." He says as I finish up my ramen.

"Hey, wait up!" I exclaim as I get up to run after him. I don't notice him stopping and turning around to wait for me and end up running face first into him. I start falling back but two strong hands grasp my arms right below my shoulders and hold me up.

"Are you alright?" questions Kakashi, letting his grip on my arms loosen.

"Yeah, thanks...again," I reply, avoiding his gaze. God, I feel like such a child. Kakashi has been practically taking care of me ever since I've gotten back. Buying me dinner, stopping my fall, and he's coming over tomorrow morning to help clean. Not to mention he took care of all my plants while I was away.

We walk home in silence. I drag my feet along the streets and stay a few steps behind Kakashi. He leaves, just saying goodnight out of common courtesy.

I go into my apartment and lock the door behind me. I head straight to my room and cover the window and the balcony door with the large patterned pieces of fabric that are my lame excuse for curtains. I get changed into a white t-shirt and loose fitting navy blue short-shorts before getting into bed.

I don't end up going to bed for a while, however. Instead I play music out loud to block out outdoor sounds. A small squeak escapes my lips, as I hear a knock from the wall across the room, startling me half to death.

"Some of us are trying to sleep, Mariko," says Kakashi's voice from the other side of the wall. I keep forgetting how thin the walls of this building are.

"Sorry Kakashi," I drone, turning off my music and rolling over in bed.


	2. Pancakes

I woke up to a loud knocking on the back door. Rolling over in bed, I fall off the side and onto the floor with a loud thump.

"Wake up, Mariko. It's already nine o'clock," declares Kakashi's voice from the other side of the door. I get up and unlock the back door.

"It's open," I say in a grumpy manner before falling face first onto my bed and covering myself with the blankets. I roll over to face the wall.

The door opens and a cool gush of wind slips in. I pull the blankets a bit closer. Kakashi closes the door as he walks in.

"Wake up, sleepy head," he teases as he sits on the edge of my bed and nudges my shoulder gently. I can tell he's smiling because of his tone of voice. I pull the covers up over my head and mumble something about not wanting to get out of bed.

"Maybe the sunlight will wake you up," he sighs. Standing up, he goes back to the door and takes off the cloth. I don't move. I hear him sigh again. "Alright what about this one." I hear him taking off his shoes and then the mattress starts to sink under his weight.

"What're you-?" I ask but don't bother to finish my sentence. I roll over so that I'm on my back. Next to me is Kakashi on his knees leaning over me, fiddling with my lame excuse for a curtain, trying to pin it back.

I stare up at him groggily and rub my eyes before just rolling over and hiding underneath the covers.

"I'll make breakfast," he states and I listen to his footsteps walking towards my kitchen.

"There's no food in the house," I mumble audibly, "I was gonna buy food yesterday but you treated me to dinner instead." He walks back towards my room and opens the door.

"Guess I'll find something for you at my place." He says, leaving without closing the door.

I bring the covers down from over my face and breathe in the fresh air, letting it wash over my face and arms. I guess getting up isn't so horrible. Especially when breakfast is getting made for you.

Kakashi walks back into my room holding up a box of pancake mix. Yum!

"Wake me up when it's ready!" I yell after him as he heads into the kitchen. He sighs and laughs a little. I can almost _hear_ the eyeroll. I brush it off and go back to sleep.

☆☆☆☆☆

When I wake up again, it's a lot more pleasant. The house smells like pancakes and Kakashi is sitting on the edge of my bed looking at me, smiling. Probably.

"Good morning, bed head." I sit up to look at him better.

"Who're you calling bed head?" I question, tying my hair up in a ponytail with an elastic that was around my wrist, "You should look at yourself..." I mutter under my breath.

"What was that?" Kakashi asks looking at me with a playfully challenging gaze.

"I said," I start, raising my voice, "you should look at yourself if you think I have bed head hair!" I snap back at him, frowning and crossing my arms. He starts to laugh.

"I'm just joking you know," he says. "Your hair looked fine actually," he comments.

"Well then, should we go have breakfast?" He asks.

"Y-yeah," I answer quietly, stuttering. He gets up off my bed and heads towards the kitchen and I follow behind him.

On the table is a plate piled with pancakes and a bottle of maple syrup. Two plates and two sets of utensils are set on the table.

"This is really lovely, thank you..." I say seating myself. Kakashi sits down opposite me and grabs the top two pancakes.

"No problem," he starts saying as he pours maple syrup over the pancakes.   
"Oh yeah, I tried putting chocolate chips in some of them but I think the chocolate just burned to the pan..." he continues, sounding slightly uneasy. I giggle at his reaction.

"I'm sure it's fine," I say, taking two pancakes onto my plate and pouring a bit of maple syrup.

"I forgot to ask you before," starts Kakashi as I take a large bite of pancake. "How did your training go?" I gulp down the pancakes with a sip of water.

"It went alright. I became a Chunin," I reply, wiping some maple syrup off my cheek.

"Oh, congrats!" He says, putting one of the chocolate chip pancakes on my plate. I smile at him and take a bite.

"These are really good with chocolate chips!" I exclaim, eating what's left on my plate hastily. Kakashi laughs at my reaction.

"Just don't get sick," he chuckles. He gets up taking both of our empty plates and syrup-covered utensils. "Here, I'll clean up while you get ready," he states as he goes over to the sink to clean the dishes.

I go to my room and close the door. I pick out some average clothes; black shorts and a green tank top. I fix my hair in the mirror putting it up into a bun.

Heading back into the kitchen, I see Kakashi who has just finished cleaning the dishes. He turns off the faucet and turns towards me.

"So," he starts. "What's the plan?" I shrug.

"Let's start by opening all the windows... then I'll vacuum and you can...dust the shelves?" I ask hesitantly. He just laughs.

"Sounds good to me."

I head back to my room and open the back door and the window. I can hear the sound of Kakashi opening the other windows in the living room. I head to the entrance where I take the vacuum cleaner out of the small closet. It's more of a cupboard, really. I plug the vacuum into an outlet and turn it on. I'm sure all the neighbours can hear the loud noise it's making. Damn these thin walls. As I head to the living room, I see Kakashi lifting objects off of the shelves and passing a damp cloth over the surface of the wood. He turns and smiles at me through his mask. We continue cleaning, focusing on our own tasks.

☆☆☆☆☆

By the time we've finished vacuuming, dusting all the surfaces, and washing the floor, it's nearly 1:30. 

"I'm hungry," I complain sitting down in one of the chairs at the kitchen table.

"Well, I can go get something from my place," states Kakashi, helpfully.

"I appreciate the thought but I can't keep relying on you for food. I'll need to go grocery shopping eventually," I answer.

"Then let's go grocery shopping," says Kakashi in a happy tone of voice. "We can go to the shopping district." I smile at him.

"That sounds like a good idea, let me grab a sweater."

I head to my room and slip on a knit sweater. When I get to the entrance, Kakashi is already waiting in the doorway, keeping the door open with his foot and holding my keys in his hands.

We walk down the sunlit streets of Konoha towards the busy shopping district. Passing familiar faces on the way really brought back memories. Naruto had become a ninja and proudly wore his new forehead protector as he ran across town.

"Feeling nostalgic?" asks Kakashi beside me. I had almost forgotten he was with me.

"Just a bit..." I reply, slightly embarrassed. I look around at the shops. I'm not much of a chef so it's instant food for me. Heading into a shop, I fill a basket with some instant ramen packets and oatmeal, as well as some rice and crackers. Kakashi follows behind, adding some things in hopes of me 'being healthy'.

"Honestly Mariko, you can't just live on plain grains as meals," he sighs as he puts some vegetables and a bag of apples in my basket.

"Not all of us are good at cooking," I retort, grabbing some bread off a shelf.

On our way through the rest of the shopping district we pass a small jewelry stand. I stop to look at a particular bracelet. It's a thin silver chain with a flat silver bow attached. The details are engraved and simple looking but it's still quite pretty.

"Do you like it?" Asks Kakashi next to my ear. It sends shivers down my spine.

"I- um...It's alright," I hurry to answer trying to brush it off. Kakashi is carrying my groceries.

"Excuse me, how much for the bracelet?" questions Kakashi, talking to the person manning the stand and putting down the bags of food.

"W-what," I sputter, "You don't need to get it, it's not even that pretty anyways-" I try to justify.

"No, it's fine. I insist," he says smiling at me from under his mask. I try to hold his hand back as he takes his wallet and goes to hand the money to the cashier.

"You really don't have to, Kakashi," I persuade.

"I'm getting it because I want to, Mariko," he states firmly. The cashier hands him the bracelet in a small satin sachet. Kakashi grabs my left wrist gently. He fiddles with the delicate bracelet for a short while before attaching it around my wrist.

"There," he declares as he picks up the bags of groceries. "It looks good on you." I blush at his words as he starts to walk ahead of me.

"Are you coming or what? I thought you said you were hungry," he says after a while of me standing still, remaining in front of the jewelry stand.

"Y-yeah," I reply, jogging over to him.

☆☆☆☆☆

We get back to my apartment at 2:13. I make some instant noodles for lunch.

"Well, I think today has been a productive day," I state, leaning back in my chair to stretch my back.

"Yeah, I guess I'll be on my way after lunch, then," says Kakashi. We eat in silence for the rest of the meal.

After putting his dishes in the sink, I walk him to the door.

"I guess I'll see you around," I state, looking up at him.

"Yeah, see you later," he says  
raising his hand the way he does when greeting people. He walks down the hall to his apartment. I reluctantly close the door, sighing.

I head to my room and lie on my bed, playing some music. I remember the bracelet on my left wrist and look at it. Kakashi was right, it does suit me. 

But it's fragile and just vaguely too fancy for me to wear everyday. I unclasp it and put it on my bedside table. Why would he buy this for me? He's already done so much for me, why get me a gift as well?

It doesn't make sense to me and I just feel guilty that he keeps spending money on me.


	3. Night at my Place

By the time it's past midnight, I'm still wide awake. I'm sure sleeping in this morning didn't help. I go out onto the balcony with a cup of tea and some biscuits that me and Kakashi bought earlier. A cool summer breeze blows though the air, making me shiver as it brushes against my bare arms and legs. Maybe wearing a large t-shirt and shorts was a bad idea since I'm outside.

I step back to stand in the doorway, sipping my tea and staring at the moon and the stars.

"Can't sleep either?" says a voice from the other side of the balcony. Startled, I spill my tea down the front of my shirt.

"Ow, fuck," I reply. "You've got to learn to be less stealthy when you're not on missions, Kakashi." I complain as he steps into view. He laughs at my commentary.

"Such gruesome language for a little lady like yourself," he mentions.

"Yeah, well this 'little lady' doesn't care, and I'm far from little," I retort, annoyed with him.

"Well you're still shorter than me," he comments. "I'll get you some more tea," he says, walking past me into my apartment. The wind moves the balcony doors. All of a sudden his door slams shut.

"What was that?" he asks from the kitchen.

"Your backdoor was closed by the wind," I answer.

"What!" he exclaims, worry in his voice. 

"You heard me," I start. "Door's closed."

"No, you don't understand," he says, frantic. "My door automatically locks when it's closed."

"Oh, shit," I muster. Kakashi slumps onto one of the chairs in the kitchen as I close the balcony door.

"I'm locked out..." he whines.

"Well I guess you can spend the night here, but I don't think you'll fit on the sofa, I can't even fit." I state, lying on my bed and pulling the covers over myself.

"I guess we'll just have to share the bed, then," he replies, walking into the room and slipping under the covers with me. He lies on his side facing me.

"Hold up, I'm gonna fall off the bed." He says, pulling himself closer towards me. His arm moves to rest on my torso. "Do you mind? It's just that there's not much room..." I shake my head.

"It's cool, I understand." I shift positions, backing away from Kakashi to give the both of us more space.

His breathing is steady and calm, his face serene. I close my eyes, hoping for sleep to come to me. Though I still feel horribly awake.

An hour goes by, still nothing, but Kakashi is fast asleep. I sigh and he stirs in his slumber. I hold my breath and stop moving, hoping I don't wake him up. He's shifted so that his back is to me now. He starts mumbling incoherently in his sleep and rolls over to face me. However the space between us wasn't very large to begin with. My face is practically against his chest and my back is pressed up against the wall. His arm has been swung over to rest above my shoulder, blocking me from getting up.

"Kakashi..." I whisper wondering if he'll hear me. He doesn't move, I know I'm trapped here until he moves or wakes up.

His relaxed breathing and the continuity of his chest rising and falling somehow manages to calm me down and make me sleep.

☆☆☆☆☆

When I wake up the next morning, Kakashi is still asleep. He must've shifted in his sleep though, because despite being in the same position, there is more space between us. He groggily opens his eyes.

"Good morning, sleepy head," I taunt playfully. He rolls his eyes at me.

"You should see yourself," he retorts, closing his eyes again.

"Still tired?" I question. He nods his head in response. "Guess I'll make breakfast this morning then," I answer smiling.

I sit up and stretch before getting off the bed. I leave the bedroom door open a crack as I enter the kitchen. I take out the eggs, milk, and bread that we bought yesterday.

"I guess I could try making omelets..." I mumble to myself. I mean, I've never successfully made one before but maybe today is the day.

Or not. My omelet just turned out the way it always does: scrambled. I sigh as I split it in half and put half on each of the plates that are already put on the table. I put some bread in the toaster and take out the jam and peanut butter as well as two knives and two forks.

I go back into the bedroom to find Kakashi asleep again. He's taken to my side of the bed. His Konoha headband is on my bedside table. Looking at him now, I realize how disheveled and messy his hair is. I can't believe I didn't notice earlier. It's kind of cute. I sit on the edge of the bed and gently shake his shoulder. He stirs a bit but that's about it. And to think I was afraid of waking him up last night when I sighed. I shake his shoulder a bit more violently. Still nothing.

"Kakashi, wake up. Breakfast is ready," I say, still shaking his shoulder. He mumbles something incoherent and rolls over towards me. He reluctantly opens his eyes.

"But, I don't wanna get up..." he complains, pulling the blankets over his shoulders. "The bed is all cozy and warm," he continues. I roll my eyes at him, pulling on one of his arms to try to get him out of my bed, but he won't budge. I sigh and look at him. His gaze is directed at my nightstand.

"The bracelet," he starts. I turn to look at the nightstand. I had totally forgotten that I had taken it off the previous day. "Why'd you take it off?" He asks, sitting up in bed. He wore his mask to bed. Isn't it uncomfortable to wear all the time? The only times I've seen him without it are when we've been in the apartment building. And only _sometimes_ while eating. Mysterious...

"Mariko!" exclaims Kakashi, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Hm, what?" I reply, slightly dazed.

"Well, you're distracted. I said why'd you take off the bracelet?" I look at the thin silver chain he's holding in the palm of his hand.

"It's not that I don't appreciate it," I attempt to explain, but that's all I have to say. I don't really have an explanation. He gently grabs my left arm and pulls it towards him, tying the bracelet around my wrist once again.

"Now you'll always have a memento of me," he says, smiling at me through his mask. I force a weak smile to try to reassure him that I will indeed not take off the bracelet again. His reasoning is sweet though, so I doubt I'll be taking it off any time soon. He yawns and stretches before asking: "What's for breakfast?"

"A failed attempt at an omelet..." I state hesitantly. He laughs.

"Then, let's eat before it gets cold." We head to the kitchen and sit in the same places as the previous day. The toast is starting the get cold. I make a peanut butter and jam sandwich with a slice of toast cut in half. Kakashi's hair is still messy.

"What?" He questions after I've been staring at his hair for a while.

"I've never seen your hair down is all." I answer. It looks soft.

After breakfast we head down to the landlady's apartment to ask for the key. Of course, we could have gone before, but neither of us would really wanted to hear the speech about "asking for keys at this ungodly hour!"

Kakashi unlocks his front door.

"See you around. And thanks for letting me spend the night." I walk back to my apartment, already missing his company. But at least now I can take a well needed shower. I grab a towel from the closet shelf next to the bathroom and turn on the water.

☆☆☆☆☆

"Gosh that's refreshing..." I state as I leave the humid bathroom and head to my room with my hair tied up and a towel wrapped around my body. Right as I'm getting to the doorway, someone knocks on the front door. I go to open it. Standing in front of me is Kakashi.

"I didn't mean to bother you," he starts saying, turning his gaze away from me. I think I can see a faint brush of pink on his cheeks.

"I left my headband here," he says.

"Oh! I'll go get it for you," I reply, heading into my room to get it off my nightstand.

As I hand it back to him he says: "And I thought you should know, I'm leaving on an escort mission with Team seven."

"Oh..." I answer a bit discouraged.

"Hey, don't be down. It should only last a week, tops. Anyways, could you maintain my apartment while I'm gone?" He questions, dangling a set of keys in front of me.

"Um, sure." I reply, taking the keys.

"Alright, thanks," he says, smiling before he walks down the hallway and picks up a bag that's leaning against his door.

"Good luck on your mission!" I yell after him before I close my door.

I drop the keys on the kitchen table and go to get changed. I already know it's going to be a long week, hopefully I get a mission soon. And hopefully it'll distract me from missing my next door neighbour...


	4. His Apartment

Five days have passed since Kakashi left. I still haven't gone to his apartment but on the fifth day I figured it was about time. I unlocked the door and hesitantly turned the handle.

His apartment is almost exactly like mine, just mirrored. The entrance has a small, cube-like table with a bowl on it filled with change and papers. Next to it is a small potted plant.

In the living room is a sofa, larger than mine and it certainly looks more comfortable. In front of it, is a large wooden coffee table, with three empty cups on it and two cacti. The sofa is facing a small television screen. On either side of the television are shelves filled with books, including the porno series he always seems to be reading.

From the living room, I can see the inside of the bathroom which has a kaki green shower curtain with leaf patterns. The large counter is neat other than a hair brush and a tube of toothpaste.

The kitchen has the same setup as mine but his table is much nicer. There's a fruit bowl in the center of the table. Most of the fruit has gone bad so I throw it out.

Finally, I get to his bedroom. He has a head board attached to his bed that has an alarm clock, and two photographs on it. I recognize Kakashi's Team 7 in one of them and what I'm assuming is his old team. Little Kakashi looks so grumpy, it's adorable.

On the other side of the room is a shelf filled with ninja equipment. I walk up to it, examining all the well maintained weapons on the shelf. Among them is what I recognize to be an ANBU black ops mask.

"Kakashi is part of ANBU...?" I question out loud as I pick up the mask off the shelf. It represents a dog. I put it back down on the shelf and back away from that side of the room. I let myself fall onto the bed. What else could Kakashi be hiding? I shake my head, hoping these thoughts will leave me be. I get up and leave the room, closing the door behind me.

The rest of my afternoon is spent cleaning the rest of the apartment. Vacuuming, washing the floors, and dusting. Throughout the whole process I continuously eye the door to his room. Something about it just makes me uncomfortable. Maybe it's the ANBU mask or maybe it's just me being paranoid. Either way, I don't go back inside, not even to clean. By four o'clock, the place is looking sparkly clean and smells of lemon scented cleaning product.

I sit down on his couch, sinking into the soft cushions satisfactorily. The state of this apartment is a job well done, after all! I lie down and stare at the ceiling. All that cleaning really tired me out. The sofa pillows smell an awful lot like Kakashi and I find myself hugging one of them while thinking about how comfortable the couch is and how I could just fall asleep...

☆☆☆☆☆

In the end, that's exactly what happens. I wake up to someone gently shaking my shoulder.

"Kakashi..." I mumble drowsily, keeping my eyes closed and bringing the pillow closer.

"Yes?" replies a voice. I open my eyes, slightly shocked. I sit up on the sofa hurriedly.

"K-Kakashi!?" I exclaim, a little disgruntled. I toss the pillow on the other side of the couch. "Um...welcome back?" I say, a little confused. He chuckles.

"You cleaned this place up quite a bit while I was away." He states, seating himself on the other side of the couch. He looks exhausted. I cross my legs and stay facing him. He tilts his head back to rest on a cushion.

"Mariko, would you mind getting me a glass of water?" he questions, glancing over at me.

"Sure," I answer. I get up from the sofa and fill up a glass with cold water from the tap. I walk back to Kakashi and hand him the cup. He thanks me and pats the cushion next to him, implying I should sit down, which I do. He turns away from me to pull down his mask and gulp down the water. Afterwards, he leans against the couch again.

His head falls onto my shoulder. His hair tickles my neck and his scent wafts through the air around me. I swallow hard, trying not to move so as not to disturb him, but I'm also not very comfortable in my current position. Kakashi seems to be practically falling asleep on my shoulder though.

"Kakashi, if you need to rest I can leave..." I insist. I would take him into his bedroom but everything from before is still freaking me out a bit, and though I want to ask about it, right now just isn't a good time. He mumbles incoherently but doesn't budge. I guess I'm stuck like this for a while...

He nuzzles the crook of my neck, his warm breath sending shivers down my spine. I try to shift my body free, turning towards him and holding him up by pushing his shoulders. In his drowsy state, Kakashi wraps his arms around my torso and leans all his weight onto me.

"K-Kakashi!" I protest, as I fall back onto the sofa with him practically on top of me, but I know it's useless. His breathing is slow and steady indicating that he's already asleep. The only thing between us at the moment are my arms, which are being squished under his weight. The smell of sweat is more prominent on Kakashi than that of sandalwood. There's also a hint of campfire and pomegranate scented soap.

I fidget trying to get a bit more comfortable, especially if I'm going to be stuck like this for a while. When I finally get comfortable, I close my eyes and fall asleep.

☆☆☆☆☆

When I wake up, I'm still on the sofa. However, Kakashi is no longer on top of me and a blanket is covering my legs. The apartment is dim and I hear noises from the kitchen as well as what sounds like music from a vintage record. I sit up and look over the back of the couch into the kitchen. Kakashi is standing at the counter. He's gotten cleaned up and seems to be doing dishes.

The table is set for two, and the smell of delicious food is wafting through the air. In the center of the table is a candle. In fact, the entire apartment is lit by candles.

"Was there a power outage?" I ask out loud. Kakashi looks over his shoulder in my direction.

"Oh, you're awake," he remarks. "And no there isn't a power outage. The candles are just to set the mood," he answers.

"Set the mood for what?" I ask, visibly confused.

"For a nice dinner, of course," he says, chuckling. He turns off the tap and dries his hands. "I wanted to thank you for cleaning my apartment," he states. "And I also wanted to apologize for falling asleep on you earlier, sorry about that..."

I feel my face heat up as I remember how nice he smelled and how soft his hair was against my skin.

"It's alright..." I mutter before getting up off the sofa and stretching. I head over to the table and Kakashi pulls out my chair, gesturing for me to seat myself.

"Ooh, what a gentleman!" I mock as I sit down. He rolls his eyes.

"Haha, very funny." He retorts, taking my plate and bringing it to the stove.  
He puts a portion of spaghetti with tomato sauce onto my plate before placing it back in front of me.

"Well it looks appetizing, thank you," I say twirling some spaghetti around my fork. I take a bite of the lovely meal.

"This tastes amazing!" I exclaim, "you have to teach me how to cook now!"

"If I did, would you finally stop living off of instant noodles and peanut butter sandwiches?" He jokes, sitting down at the table across from me.

"Sure..." I answer with slight sarcasm. He laughs. We sit in the candle light enjoying the nice meal, talking about how his mission went. At the end of the meal, he brings our dirty dishes to the sink and we both sit on the sofa.

"That's the best meal I've had in a week!" Says Kakashi, contented. He sprawls his arms out onto the back of the sofa.

"That's the best meal I've _ever_ had." I comment, "And now I'm super sleepy..." I space out the sentence, laying my head on the couch cushion and closing my eyes.

I feel Kakashi move closer towards me, his arm shifting so that it's around my shoulders. My face flushes pink as he pulls me closer towards him. I respond by resting my head on his shoulder.

"Mariko," he starts saying. I tilt my head to look up at him. In the dim lighting I can hardly make out his face, but I can tell that he hasn't put back on his mask since dinner.

"What is it?" I question, admiring all his great features. His smooth skin, his soft hair, and that sharp jawline. Even in this lighting I can still tell he's handsome as hell. What am I saying? It's not like I'd even have a chance with him if I _**did**_ have feelings for him.

"Do you wanna stay the night?" he asks as he begins the play with my hair, twirling it around his finger.

"Sure, and at least one of us can sleep on the sofa this time," I laugh.

"You can use my room, I think you've slept on my couch enough already," he says jokingly. I shift a bit uncomfortably as I remember the contents of his room.

"No really, the couch is fine for me," I reply, trying to be adamant.

"Or we could share the bed again, after all my bed is larger..." he suggests. I hum positively in response not trying to give away how nice that prospect sounds. Closing my eyes I shift closer to Kakashi. His body is so warm.

"Well, it's settled then," he starts. "We'll share the bed." I drowsily hum a positive response.

Kakashi moves one of my arms around his shoulders and slides the arm that's around me down to my waist before he stands up and heads towards the bedroom, dragging me with him. He opens the door and sits me down on the bed before going to shuffle through his closet. He takes out two pairs of sweat pants and a large t-shirt.

"Here, you can use my room to change." He says handing me the shirt and a pair of sweatpants. He leaves the room to let me change. Alone in this room was the last thing I wanted, but I guess it can't be avoided. I put on the sweatpants which are a just fit because of my hips and thighs. The t-shirt is fine though. As soon as I've pulled the shirt over my head Kakashi walks back in. Topless.

"Suits you," he says, referring to the clothes he lent me. I blush as he comes towards me, his shoulder brushes mine as he walks past me to the bed. I turn around and watch him sit in bed, the blanket over his legs as he picks up his Icha Icha Paradise book and begins to read, his back resting against his headboard. I crawl into bed with him, going on the side that is against the wall, and the furthest from the ANBU mask on the shelf across the room. I lean towards him trying to read the book over his shoulder. He claps it shut.

"If you're going to read over my shoulder, at least do it discreetly. You're a ninja for crissake." He states a bit sternly. I back away acting a little hurt.

"And I don't want you reading it anyway, so I guess it's an early night for the both of us," he continues, putting the book on his headboard. As he does so, I lie down, my back to the wall. I watch Kakashi lie down, his bare back facing me. I close my eyes and try to fall asleep, letting the smell of fresh sheets put me to sleep.

A cool breeze drafts through the open window making the curtains blow and causing me to shiver.

"Cold?" Asks Kakashi. I open my eyes to see that he's now facing me. I swallow hard, looking over his muscular body before my eyes linger on his left arm. He has an ANBU tattoo. I haven't seen many ANBU in my lifetime, but I can sure as hell recognize the mask and the tattoo.

I must have been staring too long because he addresses the topic. "It's my ANBU tattoo," he starts saying. I look up at him.

"I didn't mean to pry..." I apologize, giving him a sincere look. He shakes his head.

"It's fine. ANBU is my past now. I quit when it started being too..." he pauses, as if he's hesitating to say the rest of his thought. "Stressful," he finishes.

I sigh with relief. I don't have to worry that my friend is hiding anything from me or that he's going to be in any danger. Well, any **more** danger. Kakashi chuckles.

"What, were you worried?" he asks.

"A bit, yeah," I admit turning slightly away from his gaze. Another gust of cold wind flows through the window and I grip the blanket tighter, hoping to keep warm, but to no avail.

"Here," says Kakashi. I glance back towards him right as he moves closer, putting his arms around me and pulling me towards him.

"Kakashi what are you-" I start saying as I place my arms between me and his chest, my face heating up and my body tense. His skin is smooth and warm.

"It's warmer, right?" He questions, resting his chin on top of my head. He smells really good, I feel like I'm being wrapped in a bubble of paradise. I nod to respond to his inquiry. I relax as I rest my head on the pillow, falling asleep almost instantly to the sound of Kakashi's steady breathing.


	5. Nightmare

That night, I dream that I'm being held captive.

_I'm stuck in a thick glass cube, the bottom of which is layered with a few centimeters of water. I pace around the small area, pressing my hands against the transparent walls. There's a bright white spotlight on the containment cube and the walls of the room it's in seem to be made of concrete. Must be underground._

_I hear footsteps and turn around to see three shadowy figures. They're wearing dark cloaks and their faces are covered by masks. One of them goes to stand by a control panel. The other two stay standing in front of me._

_"It seems you're conscious, perhaps now you can finally tell us where it is..." says the one in the middle. His voice is deep and menacing. I press my hands against the glass._

_"What?" I ask, "What do you mean 'tell you where it is'? Tell you where what is?" I continue inquiring. A brush of cold liquid envelops my ankles and look down to see that the water level is slowly rising._

_"Don't play dumb, girl! We know you know where it is, so you can either tell us or you can die!" continues the middle one, gesturing to the man on his right._

_"I don't know what you're talking about!" I insist, standing firmly at the center of the containment cube. I can feel the water level rising steadily now. It seems to be elevating more rapidly with each of my answers._

_"Tell us where it is, now!" shouts the center man. The water is now swishing around and rising steadily to my knees._

_"Please, I don't know what you want from me!" I plead as I bang on the glass with my fist. The water is up to my thighs. "Please, stop the water!"_

_"You should of thought more carefully about your response if you didn't want to drown, girl!" he replies. "We're leaving. Put the water on full," h_ _e says to his companions._

_And that's the last thing I hear them say before the person at the controls pulls a lever and walks off with the other two._

_"Wait!" I beg, hoping they'll have second thoughts, but before I know it they're a part of the shadows. I slam my palm against the glass. The water level reaches my waist._

_I start to panic. I can't swim, and I have nothing large enough to block the water pipe attached to the cubicle. I bang on the glass hoping it'll break, but it's hopeless._

_"Please!" My voice cracks with desperation as the water reaches my shoulders, "Let me out, you're making a mistake!" I look all around myself trying to find_ ** _anything_** _that'll save me. I press my hands against the top of the glass hoping maybe it can be pushed off, but to no avail. I'm stuck in a sturdy deathtrap. The water just makes everything in the cube look more cramped. My breathing becomes shallow as the water passes my neck and I look up at the ceiling that's only inches from my face_.

_"PLEASE!" I scream in a last desperate effort to keep living. And just like that I take a final breath before being completely submerged in water._

I wake up violently and jolt upright. There are tears in my eyes and sweat on my brow. All I can hear in the room is the sound of my own shallow breathing.

"Mariko, are you alright?" says a concerned voice. I turn to see Kakashi, worry on his face as he sits up next to me. I guess as soon as I fell asleep he took to a separate side of the bed.

"Yeah, I'm good. It was just a bad dream," I mumble. He places a hand on my shoulder and I turn to face him.

"Everything's going to be okay, don't worry," he reassures me, placing his other hand on my cheek and wiping away my tears. "It wasn't real, you're safe with me here."

"Thanks..." I say, grateful that he's comforting me.

"You should try relaxing, getting some more rest," he insists. I nod and lie back down, turning away from him to face the wall. The bed squeaks as Kakashi lies down next to me. I shift a bit closer to the wall to give him more room and close my eyes.

Suddenly, I feel Kakashi move closer to me, my back against his torso. My body stiffens as his hands slither around me, pulling me closer.

"K-Kakashi..." I whisper. He mumbles incoherently in response, nuzzling the crook of my neck. I feel my face get hot as his warm breath trails on my neck. His lips brush my skin ever so slightly making me gasp a bit.

☆☆☆☆☆

The next morning when I wake up, I find myself alone in Kakashi's bed. If I'm being honest, I was really hoping to wake up in his toned arms and just lie in bed with him, letting the heat of his body keep me warm. But I guess you can't get everything in life.

I don't get up. Instead, I stay snuggled in the large comforter and pillow. I pull the blanket closer, letting the smell of sweat, sandalwood, and pomegranate overwhelm me. The door opens and Kakashi walks in, mask-less and with a plate in hand.

"Morning, sleepy head," he teases. I groan in response, hiding deeper in the mess of bedsheets. He puts the plate on the headboard and sits on the bed next to me.

"How long have you been up?" I ask.

"Not more than an hour. I made breakfast and that's about it," he answers.

"Did you have anymore nightmares?" he questions. I shake my head and blush remembering how close he was to me, how smooth his skin was, how warm he was.

"That's good to hear," he replies. He looks at me questioningly. I stare back at him.

"What?" I demand, almost snapping at him.

"Your face is really red, do you have a fever?" he inquires, placing a hand on my forehead. My face heats up even more. His hands on my skin are soft and gentle.

"I-I'm not sick," I start. "Just too warm at the moment." I proceed to sit up and push the covers off. Kakashi pulls his hand away and frowns.

"If you say so." He responds. He grabs the plate off the table and hands it to me. For breakfast, he has made delicious smelling French toast. He makes a gesture to hand me the fork but instead he cuts the toast using the side of the fork.

"Breakfast in bed," he chimes holding the fork in front of me.

"I'm not going to let you feed me! I'm perfectly capable of eating _without_ any help!" I complain. Kakashi leans forward towards me and places a hand on my jaw, his thumb brushing over my bottom lip softly. I part my lips to speak but before I can sputter out his name, he cuts me off.

"Open wide," he says, his voice just above a whisper.

And then he force feeds me the French toast, taking advantage of my open mouth. Real romantic.

"I can't believe you!" I exclaim after swallowing the food. "I'm not a child!" I cross my arms and look away from him, pouting.

"Ah," he remarks. I turn to look at him, confused. "You have some maple syrup on your face, let me get that for you." He places a hand on my jaw again. This time I don't react because I know he doesn't mean it in any sort of romantic way. I give him a blank stare as his thumb brushes the corner of my mouth.

"There," he states, pulling his hand away. I snatch the fork away from him to continue eating.

"You're ridiculous," I mutter as I finish the French toast and place the plate back on the headboard. "But thank you for breakfast, it was very lovely," I add, hoping he'll overlook my previous stubborn behaviour. He smiles at me and brings his legs up onto the bed to sit next to me. Kakashi leans against the headboard, slipping his legs under the blankets.

"Glad you enjoyed it," he answers sincerely. I turn to face him. We're not very far apart and I can feel his radiating body heat.

Suddenly, he leans in closer to me and moves his hand up to my face. My shoulders stiffen and my face flushes red as his hand brushes against my cheek and he pushes a loose strand of hair behind my ear. When he doesn't move his hand away from my face, I get flustered.

"Um, Kakashi..?"

His lips collide with mine. I open my eyes wide with shock before kissing him back gently. He pulls his soft lips off of mine as I process the whole situation.

"M-maybe I should go..." I stutter, throwing the covers off my legs and sliding them down to the floor before getting up in a rush. I grab my clothing off a chair and head towards the door, still in the clothes he lent to me.

"Wait!" He exclaims as he walks towards me, stopping next to the kitchen table to distance us.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know how to feel right now," I tell him.

He drops his head and looks at his feet. "I understand..."

And that was the last thing I heard him say before I left his place.


	6. Friends

**.:Kakashi's** **POV:.**

It's been two days since the kiss. The curtains in Mariko's room have stayed closed and I haven't heard much movement from her apartment, despite the thin walls.

As I leave my flat and lock the door, I gaze towards the end of the hallway and my eyes rest on her door. I sigh and turn away, heading out to meet Team 7 for their training.

☆☆☆☆☆

"Kakashi-sensei, you're even later than usual!" complains Naruto boisterously.

"Sorry, I got distracted by a pretty girl on my way," I lie. Sakura scoffs.

"Yeah right, Sensei," she starts, "I bet you were sleeping in." She eyes me suspiciously.

"Today we're gonna practice taijutsu," I state, avoiding Naruto and Sakura's accusing stares.

The kids end up practicing against wooden dummies as I observe them from afar, in the shade of a tree with a copy of Icha Icha Paradise. But even though I'm reading the words, my mind is distracted. I keep thinking about Mariko. Kissing her was such a sudden move, I probably freaked her out. I guess I got too carried away in the moment. Her disheveled hair was so cute and her lips looked as soft as ever. I could almost still taste her on my mouth.

"SENSEI!!!" yells a voice snapping me back to reality. I look up, visibly shook. Naruto is standing in front of me, looking clearly annoyed. Sakura and Sasuke are still training behind him.

"What's up with you today, you've been missing out on all my quality techniques!" exclaims Naruto.

"I was just busy reading," I say distractedly, but I can tell he doesn't believe me. These kids know I'm able to multi-task while reading.

"I'm going to go for a walk, how about I bring back some lunch?" I inquire, hoping Naruto will take the bait as an apology.

"Can you get Ichiraku take-out?" He asks, his eyes twinkling and a huge smile spread across his face. I should've known better.

"Ok, ok, I'll get Ichiraku Ramen for you," I reply.

☆☆☆☆☆

I walk through the streets of Konoha distractedly, taking the longer route to Ichiraku's and passing by my own apartment building. I look up at my balcony and see Mariko. She's leaning against the railing, her back to me. A warm breeze sweeps through the air, carrying leaves and dust up off the street. Mariko turns around. In her hand she's holding a coffee mug. Even though she's up on the second floor balcony, I can still see how tired she looks. Her hair is messier than usual and her skin is pale and almost tinted a sickly green colour.

She looks down to the street and spots me. Her eyes meet mine and almost instantly she looks away, turning back into her house and slamming the back door a little harshly. I let my gaze linger on the door before continuing on my way to Ichiraku's.

There were only two reasons I couldn't get her out of my head: 1) because of the kiss and 2) because other than the kiss, I couldn't stop thinking about the last night she had spent in my bed. Although neither of us had explicitly said much about it, it had been pretty intimate. And on top of that, I couldn't stop pondering on the way everything had felt then. Her soft, fruity-smelling hair, her warm skin, and _oh god_ the way she got flustered by intimacy.

On my way back from Ichiraku Ramen, I pass the Yamanaka flower shop. I stop to look at the flower displays outside, noticing some particularly pretty tulips in a bucket.

"Hi Kakashi-sensei," says a familiar voice. I look up to see Ino Yamanaka, one of Asuma's students.

"Which lucky lady are you buying flowers for?" she continues. I hesitate for a second before responding.

"It's an apology gift," I respond, "how much for three tulips?" I ask.

"Three dollars," she answers picking up three of the largest tulips before we head inside where she ties them together in plastic with a pink ribbon and I pay.

Heading back towards my apartment building, I start to get a bit nervous. How will Mariko react when she sees me? Will she even want to talk to me? Based on the way she had reacted when I'd seen her earlier, she wouldn't want to. But it was worth a shot anyways.

I climbed up the stairs to the second floor, my heart beating loudly through my whole being. The building was so quiet that I was sure that the neighbours could all hear my heart beat echoing off the walls. I took deep breaths as I walked down the corridor to her front door, counting down the seconds until I would knock.

The second I did, I regretted it. I didn't even know what to say to her, but I couldn't just leave now. The door opens.

"Oh," she says when she sees me standing there. "Can I help you?" she continues, sounding a bit cold.

"Yes, actually," I say, "I wanted to apologize for, uh..." I trail off awkwardly as I hold out the flowers to her. My face heats up and I avoid her gaze as she takes the tulips out of my hands. I notice she still has the bracelet I bought around her wrist.

"Oh! You really didn't need to get me flowers though... " she answers. "I just got back to Konoha, and you've been kind to me since day one, I wouldn't want to lose our friendship."

"Yeah..." I mumble awkwardly. Why was I so upset? It's not like she'd slammed the door in my face or told me to go away.

"I'm sorry too, for being distant since then. I just needed to take some time to myself for a bit." She pauses and then looks up at me. "Friends?" she questions, holding out her hand. I reach out and shake her hand.

"Friends," I confirm, but my grip on the plastic bags full of Ichiraku take-out tightens. She smiles up at me.

"I'll see you later, then," she states as she closes the door and I leave.

☆☆☆☆☆

I come home from training Team 7 late in the evening, tired, hungry, and in need of a serious back massage. I head straight to my room, take off my top, and let myself fall face forwards onto the bed. Right as I'm about to drift off to sleep, my stomach growls.

"Ugh, I don't wanna make food..." I complain, rolling over onto my back and staring at the ceiling.

That's when I hear a shy knock on the window of the back door. I get up and open it only to find my lovely next door neighbour holding a tray with tea and biscuits.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to bother you," says Mariko, as she looks down, her face turning pink. "I heard you come home and I thought you might want some tea."

"I'd love to have some, come in," I reply as I move aside and hold the door open to let her in. She heads directly into the kitchen and places the tray onto the kitchen table.

"How was your day?" she asks as I lean on the bedroom door frame.

"Exhausting," I sigh, "I don't understand how those Genin have so much energy." She laughs and turns around. She seems back to her usual self.

"How about I make you dinner then? I owe you anyways," she states.

"You don't owe me," I mumble but she doesn't hear me and begins opening the cupboards and taking out ingredients.

I head back into my room to give Mariko space to cook and pull out Icha Icha Paradise. The least I can do is relax a little with some tea while dinner is being made.

☆☆☆☆☆

After thirty minutes, the whole house is smelling delicious and some quiet smooth jazz music is playing faintly from my stereo.

"Dinner's ready!" exclaims Mariko from the kitchen. I pull on a t-shirt so that I look decent and head to the kitchen where Mariko has set the table for two and has placed two plates of rice and chicken curry.

"It smells really good," I comment. She rolls her eyes.

"It's one of the literal three meals I can make and if I were you, I'd prepare for disappointment..." she answers. I laugh a bit and sit down, pulling down my mask and taking a bite as Mariko places a glass of water next to me.

"Well you're wrong about one thing," I start. "This is actually delicious."

"I'm glad you think so," she says, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. We eat in silence for a moment. It's not awkward but it's also definitely not comfortable.

"I've already offered, but I'd be glad to teach you how to cook," I tell her as she shovels food into her mouth. She washes down the food by chugging a cup of water.

"I think I will take you up on that offer," she replies, her eyes meeting mine. I hold her gaze for a few seconds, observing the details of her face.

"Wow, this might be the first time you _don't_ get food on your face when we eat together," I joke.

"I'm not that much of a messy eater!" she retorts, pouting.

"And I think I spoke too soon," I throw back at her as I lean over the table, using my napkin to wipe off some curry sauce from the corner of her mouth. She gets a bit tense before her face flushes with colour. I get sliver of satisfaction knowing that she still has a reaction to even only slightly intimate moments with me.

"Uh, thanks..." she sputters after a moment. We finish the meal in silence, and although we're not addressing it aloud, I can tell we're both thinking about my recent actions.

I stand up from the table and stretch, making my back crack loudly.

"God, my back is killing me. . ." I voice aloud.

"I could give you a back massage if you want," she states plainly in response.

"Really? That would actually be great," I answer.

"Sure, it's no big deal. Just go lie down on your bed and I'll be there in a second," she continues as she picks up the dirty dishes and brings them to the sink. I head into my room and sit down on the bed. A moment later, Mariko walks in.

"It might be easier if you take off your shirt, but you can do whatever makes you most comfortable," she says. I don't hesitate to pull my t-shirt off over my head. When I look back at Mariko, I notice she's avoiding looking directly at my bare chest and her cheeks are brushed with a light hue of pink.

"Well let's get started then," she declares as I lie down on my stomach. She seats herself next to me on the edge of the bed.

The second her hands touch my skin, I feel different. Maybe it's the difference in temperature between her hands and my back or maybe it's the slight butterflies in my stomach, but one thing is for sure, it's not bad. I can't help but wonder if she feels it, too, and if she's aware of how much more intimate this is compared to what I did at dinner.

Her smooth hands slide over my skin repeatedly, moving in various different directions and motions and relaxing my muscles in the process.

"Have you ever considered doing this professionally?" I tease, as her palms dig into my back.

"You're not the first person to tell me I give good massages," she responds. I hum a response, too caught up in the massage to reply with words.

After another ten minutes, Mariko stops. I stay lying down, my back feeling a lot less tense and my whole body feeling relaxed and light.

"It's getting late, I should probably head back home," voices Mariko. She gets up and heads back into the kitchen. I sit up and groggily rub my eyes. She walks back into my room holding the tray she came in with as well as its' contents.

"Thanks for everything," I say, standing up and heading over to the back door to open it for her, "And maybe I can stop by and teach you how to cook something new tomorrow," I add as I open the door.

"I'd like that," she answers, smiling up at me.

I watch her leave and find myself biting down on my lip as my eyes trail over her figure. Damn, that ass. . .


	7. Mara

**.:Mariko's POV:.**

The next morning, I find myself still thinking about the previous night. It's hard to get the image of a perfect body like Kakashi's out of my head. 

I head into the kitchen and open the fridge looking for something to eat. I end up settling for a sad bowl of stale cereal.

When I'm half-way done the cereal, I hear a knock on the door. Checking the kitchen clock, I get up to answer it.

"Who the hell would come to my house at nine in the morning?" I voice out loud. I unlock the door and open it.

"Surprise!!!" exclaims the girl standing at my door. Her hair is long and wavy, tied in a loose ponytail that cascades down her back. She's at least a few inches taller than me and has a bright smile plastered onto her face.

"Mara?!" I say in shock, as she bustles in past me and drops a duffel bag on the living room floor along with a large box.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" she questions as she takes off her backpack and sits at the kitchen table.

"I mean, yeah, it's just so sudden..." I answer, closing the door. And it was true, I hadn't seen her for five months, not since she had accompanied me for a few weeks during my training.

"Well, I thought I'd pay my favourite little sister a visit! God, I haven't been in Konoha for ages!" she ponders as she pulls my half-eaten cereal bowl towards her and digs in.

"Not for four years" I say, seating myself across from her. "How long are you staying?"

"Just a week," she replies, shoveling more cereal into her mouth. I sigh.

"Well, I don't have a place for you to sleep so you're gonna have to find an inn or something," I declare, but something about her expression worries me.

"Don't worry, I brought an inflatable mattress," she states, smiling.

"You brought...an inflatable mattress?" I repeat, giving her a quizzical look.

"Yeah, it's in that box," she continues. I look over to where she dropped all her luggage and sure enough, there's a beat up, brown cardboard box. I stare at all her bags for a moment. I couldn't believe how much Mara had packed for one week. But then again, she was never able to pack light.

"You sure brought a lot of stuff..." I comment. At this point, she has already finished the cereal and is taking out the inflatable mattress from its box.

"Where should I set up?" she asks enthusiastically. I shrug.

"I guess the living room is fine."

☆☆☆☆☆

By lunch time, Mara has completely taken over my house. All her clothes are sprawled out on the couch and there are dirty dishes piling up on the kitchen table. Her makeup litters the bathroom counter, lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes left open and mascara staining the ceramic sink. The only room untouched by her recklessness is my own.

"So are we gonna go out for lunch?" she questions. She's lounging on the couch reading a magazine.

"If you want," I start. "We could go to Ichiraku Ramen."

But before she can answer, I hear a knock coming from the balcony door. _Fuck._

"Who the hell is that?" complains Mara as I head over to the door. I open it half-way and see Kakashi standing there looking quite happy without his mask.

"Hey!" he says in an upbeat tone.

"Hey," I reply uneasily. "Listen, right now isn't really a good time---"

The door gets pulled wide open, shocking me. Mara is standing next to me. Oh god, kill me now.

"Ooh, who's this?" she asks, an intrigued and semi-flirtatious tone in her voice. Kakashi, mask already back on, stands there looking confused. He glances at me for an explanation.

"Mara, this is my neighbour Hatake Kakashi. Kakashi, this is my older sister Mara. She arrived this morning," I declare, hoping that he'll leave and that Mara won't say or do anything to embarrass me.

I spoke too soon.

"You never told me you had a hot neighbour, Haricotte*!" she exclaims.

***** **nickname meaning green bean/string bean,** **(the H is silent)**

"Haricotte?" Kakashi repeats questioningly.

"I-it's just a silly nickname from our childhood," I state, trying to explain it away. He chuckles and I feel my face heat up. Mara pushes her way in front of me.

"Absolute pleasure meeting you," she dramatizes as she reaches out her hand. Kakashi graciously shakes it. Mara grins brightly at him and bats her eyelashes. He raises his eyebrow at her, a slight grin spread on his face. I don't know why but I feel my chest tighten ever so slightly.

"We were just about to go to lunch," I state, trying to interrupt their interaction.

"Oh," he answers, his cheerfulness fading as he looks at me.

"How about you come with us?" declares Mara brightly. My muscles tense.

"Sure, where are you guys going?" replies Kakashi.

"Ichiraku Ramen," she responds.

"Alright, I'll meet you guys outside in five," he says. Before he leaves he glances over at me and forces a smile.

I close the door and sit down on the bed.

"So what's up with you two?" questions Mara eagerly.

"What?"

"Are you guys _together?_ "

"No way," I state looking away from her.

"Well, since you're not going for him, I will," she declares plainly. A wave of resent and anger washes over me. Who does she think she is showing up out of the blue and getting involved in _my_ social life. I grip the edge of the bed and head towards the door.

"I'll be in the hall," I say a bit sternly.

☆☆☆☆☆

The whole walk to Ichiraku's I'm stuck walking behind Kakashi and Mara. My sister is holding onto his arm and giggling at everything he says, ogling about how 'cool' his mask is and how 'toned' his arm is. I try to avoid paying much attention to them and look around at the bustling streets instead.

At the ramen stand, Mara sits in between Kakashi and I, leaning closer to Kakashi and telling him stories about her travels from when she left Konoha. We order and I rest my head in my hand, lazily listening to their conversation until the food comes.

Just when I think that this lunch date couldn't get any worse, it does.

"Ooh, I'll trade you a piece of pork for beef," says Mara to Kakashi. They switch and I stir my chopsticks sulkily in my bowl, letting the noodles tangle and the presentation go to shit.

"Wow, I forgot how good this place was!" exclaims Mara. I roll my eyes. No she didn't.

"Oh," I hear Kakashi say. "You have something..." I glance sideways and watch the pair of them as Kakashi's hand goes up to my sister's face and he gently brushes something off the corner of her mouth.

I stir the ramen too abruptly and the broth spills out of the bowl, interrupting their moment.

"Woops," comments Mara as she reaches over the counter and hands me a pile of napkins. I grab them.

"Thanks," I answer a bit rudely as I start to clean up the mess.

"Are you okay?" she asks, her face looking sincere but her voice sounding exaggerated.

"Yeah, I just realized I'm not that hungry after all," I say. "You guys can split mine," I add as I get up to leave.

"Oh, alright," replies Mara. "I'll see you later."

"See ya," adds Kakashi quickly as I head off. I scoff and continue on my way, kicking up dust.

☆☆☆☆☆

At around four o'clock, Mara comes stumbling through the door, her face bright and smiley.

"He really is something," she tells me, closing the door and leaning against it.

"Yeah? Well I wouldn't know," I say flatly.

"We went for a walk in Konoha and he got me a flower, look," she adds, holding out a single red rose. I glance at the tulips on the kitchen table.

"You should put it with the tulips," I answer. "You don't want it to wilt." She kicks off her shoes and walks over to the table to add the rose to the vase.

"Oh, by the way," she starts, "I ran into Iruka and we're going out to dinner so you'll be alone tonight." She then heads into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

About an hour later she comes out, her makeup redone and her hair curled.

"Mara," I say, stunned. "You look gorgeous!"

"My makeup might look good but I don't have anything nice to wear..." She answers, discouraged.

"I think I could help you out with that," I state, smiling and going into my room with Mara at my heels. This is what sisters do after all.

I open the closet and start shuffling through various blouses, sweaters, and a few dresses. Finally, I come across a black dress with pink roses printed on it.

"Try this!" I tell her excitedly, handing her the dress on a hanger. She takes it and gives me a bright smile before hurrying back into the washroom to try it on.

I sit on my bed and wait for her patiently. After about five minutes she comes back into my room and gives me a spin.

"You look so good!" I exclaim. She smiles at me sincerely.

"Thank you so much for lending me this dress," she states as she sits down next to me on the bed and gives me a hug. "Now, I still have some time to kill. . . How about I give _you_ a bit of a makeover?" She grabs my hands and I smile at her as she squees and drags me to the bathroom to do my makeup, giggling. It really is just like when we were younger.

The next twenty minutes are mostly spent in the bathroom with Mara caking makeup on me like there's no tomorrow. Afterwards, she shuffles through my closet until finally-

"What about this?" She questions, holding up a plain, small, black dress with straps.

"I mean I guess, but I'd have to wear it with stockings," I say.

"Go put it on!" answers Mara enthusiastically as she hands me the hanger. I somewhat reluctantly head towards the washroom to get changed.

As I walk back into the bedroom, Mara stands up.

"You look gorgeous, Haricotte!" she exclaims, her eyes glossy as she adjusts my hair and shoulder straps.

"Thanks, Mara," I reply smiling warmly at her. "What time is your date at anyways?" I ask out of the blue.

"I'm only meeting him at 6," she begins, as she glances over my shoulder at the kitchen clock. "Oh shit! It's five to, I've got to run!" she declares, grabbing her purse and hurrying to the door to slip her heels on.

"Don't come home too late!" I yell after her as she opens the door.

"You can't give me a curfew, you're my little sister!" she snaps back, but there's a hint of amusement in her voice. She slams the door shut behind her.


	8. Dinner

**.:Kakashi's POV:.**

At around six o'clock, I decide to go over to Mariko's to make dinner. I knock on the back door and wait.

When she opens the door I am surprised to see her dressed up. She has on a short and tight black dress with tights and her hair isn't tied up for once. I also notice that she's wearing a lot of makeup, which is unusual. As I look her over, I can't help but think of how pretty she looks.

"If I had known this was going to be a fancy dinner, I would've dressed more appropriately," I say designating my sweats and sleeveless black shirt.

"I almost forgot I was wearing this," she states, her cheeks blushing pink. "I'll get changed and then we can make dinner," she declares quickly.

"No need to change when you're looking that good," I reply with an underlying flirtatious tone to my voice, hoping she'll catch on. Although I feel a pang of guilt for having acted the same way with Mara in front of Mariko.

I step inside and close the door behind me before turning back to her and reaching gently for her hand.

"How about giving me a spin," I remark, holding her hand above her and twirling her. She giggles and follows my lead, letting me spin her and gaze at her.

"Very lovely," I say as I intertwine our fingers and catch her by the waist pulling her towards me. Her face is very flushed now.

"Oh, stop flattering me!" she responds, glancing away from me and letting go of my hand, although she can't seem to get rid of her smile and the look of absolute delight on her face.

"It's not flattery if it's true, Mariko," I reply. "Or should I say... Haricotte." I smirk as she flinches at the nickname.

"Seriously?" she asks exasperated.

"What? it's cute."

_Just like you,_ I think to myself.

We head into the kitchen and I go through Mariko's fridge and cupboards.

"Is this seriously all you have?" I question, a bit taken aback by the contents of her kitchen, half of which seems to be expired.

"It's enough for me," she answers stubbornly.

"I guess we're gonna make a vegetable stir-fry. . ." I reply, taking out some vegetables from the fridge. "Could you start cooking some rice?" I ask her as I shuffle through the kitchen some more and come across quite a large bottle of red wine.

"Nothing better than a little wine," I say as I hold up the bottle in a prompting manner. I place the bottle on the counter and get two wine glasses from one of the cupboards. As I go to open the bottle, Mariko interrupts me.

"Shouldn't we wait until we eat for that?" she inquires, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Why wait when we can have a little fun now?" I reply slyly as I pour us each a large glass. I hand her one of them.

"Cheers," she declares as our glasses clink. I take a large gulp, before putting my glass down on the counter and beginning to chop some peppers.

"You know what's missing?" She says suddenly after putting the rice on the stove. I glance at her and raise an eyebrow, but rather than replying she heads into the living room. A minute later, smooth jazz starts playing.

"Music," she states as she sits down on one of the chairs in the kitchen. She takes a large sip of wine, I can almost already see her cheeks becoming more pink.

I put some oil in a skillet and start adding vegetables to it as it heats up.

"If I'm supposed to be teaching you to cook, you shouldn't just be lounging around..." I say, hinting that she should stop relaxing and sipping her glass of wine. "Come watch the pan."

She sighs and gets up slowly, grabbing a wooden spoon. As I toss the last of the vegetables into the pan I notice that Mariko is just continuously stirring the contents in a clockwise motion.

"Here let me give you a hand," I tell her. I go up behind her and carefully place my arms around her, grabbing the skillet with one hand and placing my hand over hers on the spoon with the other. At first, she seems tense but she slowly relaxes. I can feel my heartbeat in my chest as I guide her hand and try to ignore the fact that I haven't been this close to her since our kiss and that I can feel her body heat radiating.

"You know, you really shouldn't be so _forward_ all the time," she starts, turning around to face me. "It might give people the _wrong impression."_

I look down at her face, mere inches from my own and find myself glancing at her peachy lips.

"What are you thinking about?" she murmurs, holding my gaze. Her face is slightly flushed, probably from having had half her glass of wine already. I glance over at my own glass which I've only had a few sips of.

"You've been getting through the wine fairly quickly," I remark to avoid telling her about my thoughts as I take a step back. She leans against the counter and starts drinking out of my cup.

"It's just wine, I'm not a lightweight," she answers as I step closer to her and take the glass away from her lips. "Better finish it before I do," she adds, smirking up at me. I glance at the wine glass that's now half full. Without hesitating, I down the rest of its contents.

"Happy?" I question as I place the glass behind her on the counter, leaning closer to her once more. I feel a slight rush to my head and my cheeks start to feel warmer.

"Bravo," she retorts sarcastically, as she pushes past me back to the stove. "In any case, I think this is ready," she says.

She serves us each a plate and we sit opposite each other. I grab the bottle of wine and top off our glasses.

☆☆☆☆☆

Dinner goes by quickly and we end it by seeing who can chug their third glass of wine the fastest. I win easily, and at this point Mariko's cheeks are a bright pink and I can imagine mine must be starting to flush as well.

"Let's have one more glass!" she exclaims enthusiastically.

"You're drunk enough," I chuckle playfully.

"I'm not that drunk," she insists, "maybe just a lil' bit tipsy though..." she continues, spacing out her words.

I pour us each another glass making sure to put a little less in Mariko's cup. She finishes it fairly quickly before she standing up and staggering a bit.

"I guess you are a lightweight," I tease, standing up to help her. I feel slightly dizzy as I do, but I don't trip. Mariko mumbles something incomprehensible and stumbles towards me. I catch her and she lets herself rest against my chest.

"I know my limit," she replies. I roll my eyes at her response.

"Alright then," I start, "I think you should lie down. Can you walk by yourself?"

"Of course I can!" She snaps back, letting go of me. She takes two steps before she nearly trips on her own two feet. grabbing onto the table for support.

"Ok, maybe you were right," she admits. I laugh and walk towards her to help her. She places both her hands on my shoulders.

"Oh, so this is a dance?" I inquire cunningly, sliding my hands around her waist and pulling her closer. Mariko's already bright pink cheeks flush darker as her body presses against mine.

We sway softly to the music and her head rests against my chest once more.

"I know I've already said this," I say, "but you really do look lovely tonight." I rest my chin on top of her head.

"Thanks, 'kashi," she mumbles. "It really does mean a lot." She laughs a bit.

"And this dancing really tops off the night, Prince Charming," she adds a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Prince Charming?" I question, pulling away from our embrace.

"Did I... say that out loud?" she answers, a cheeky smile on her face. "Guilty as charged," she continues, holding up both her hands in front of her.

"If you're flirting with me, you're _definitely_ drunk, Mariko," I tell her, "Time for bed, _princess_."

"You can't flirt _back_ and play along if you don't want me to!" she objects.

"Well either way, you need rest," I say. Before she can refuse, I swiftly scoop her up into my arms bridal style.

"Kakashi!!! Put me down!" she protests, as she wraps her arms around my neck in dismay.

"Don't worry, I won't drop you . . . probably."

" _Probably?!_ " she exclaims, her grip on me tightening. I bring her into her room and lie her down on the bed, sitting down next to her.

"That wasn't so bad," I state, playing with her hand.

"I guess you're right," she replies, smiling. "Why don't you lie down?" she suggests, making room for me. I lie down on the soft bed and turn on my side to face her.

I had forgotten how small her bed was and find myself having to move closer to Mariko so as not to fall off the bed. I gently place my arm over her waist and when she doesn't object I pull her closer towards me. Surprisingly, she puts an arm around me in an embrace.

"G'night, Kakashi," she says sleepily, cuddling up to me.

"Goodnight," I answer, as she drifts off to sleep in my arms.


	9. Leaving

**.:Mariko's POV:.**

When I wake up, my limbs feel like lead, my stomach hurts and my whole body feels cold. Through the window, the dawn sunlight is shining onto the bed. I sit up and stare out the window at the horizon. I'm still wearing last night's outfit.

"Good morning." I turn to see Kakashi lying on his side, looking up at me. 

"It would be nicer if I didn't feel so terrible this morning," I reply, falling back onto the bed and turning my head to face him.

"Well unlike you, _I_ can handle my alcohol," he teases, smirking at me. I pout my lips before looking away from him.

"Oh, shut up," I retort stubbornly.

"Hey, I was only kidding," he says, propping himself up on his elbow.

"I know, I know. . ." I sigh, looking back at him. "In any case, I'm hungry and craving instant ramen."

"Seriously, Mariko?" he questions incredulously. "That's not hangover food, you need something healthy."

"Who said I was hung over!?" I exclaim defensively. I sit up and crawl out of bed, trying my hardest to ignore the pounding in my head and the stiffness of my limbs.

"See? I'm fine," I state triumphantly as I stand up. "Who can handle their alcohol now? I-"

But before I can continue bragging, a horrible feeling overwhelms me and I clutch my stomach.

"I think I'm gonna hurl," I mutter before I dash off to the bathroom. And sure enough I do.

Kakashi shows up in the doorway less than a minute later, a look of slight worry and concern spread across his tired looking face.

"Oh dear," he mumbles as I begin throwing up again, my messy hair falling around my face. He kneels down beside me as I lift up my head once again to look at him.

"You were right, I can't handle my alcohol," I concede. He forces a smile but the worrisome look doesn't leave his face as I bend over the toilet again. He holds my hair back as I do so.

"Thanks 'kashi," I say. There are tears in my eyes and a dribble of saliva trickles from my lips. I flush the toilet and stand up on shaky legs, clutching the vanity and one of Kakashi's arms for support.

"Do you want me to carry you to your room again?" he asks. I shake my head and proceed to head into the kitchen, holding the wall for support. I notice Mara in the living room, passed out on her inflatable mattress.

I sit down at the kitchen table, shivering in the small, black dress. Kakashi seems to take notice of this and goes into my room, coming back with the blanket from my bed which he gives to me. He then proceeds to serve me a glass of water.

"I don't know what I can cook for you without making a racket and waking up Mara . . ." he starts.

"Don't worry about Mara, she sleeps like a _rock_. She won't be awake for another few hours," I reply.

"If you say so," he answers as he begins to take out ingredients and a pan. I sit and wait idly, watching Kakashi as he starts making omelets for breakfast.

The room grows conversationally silent, the only noise being the sizzling of the eggs in the pan. As I sit there wrapped in a blanket with my glass of water I can't help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude towards Kakashi. Ever since I've come back to Konoha he's made sure that I'm okay and I'm very grateful towards him for looking out for me.

"Kakashi," I start. He glances in my direction and raises an eyebrow questioningly.

"Thank you for looking out for me, it means a lot. . . I don't know what I'd do without your help," I state. He smiles at me.

"It's no sweat, honestly. I'm glad I can be of help, after all that's what friends are for," he answers. At the same time, he takes out two plates and cutlery, placing them in a stack on the counter next to the stove. For a moment the kitchen is only filled with the sound of Kakashi chopping onions, peppers, and mushrooms for the omelets.

I quietly stand up and head over to him, the blanket still draped around my shoulders dragging on the floor. I go up behind him and gently wrap my arms around him in a hug. The sound of the knife against the cutting board stops as I rest my head against his back.

"Mariko..." he murmurs. I hum in response as he temporarily lifts my hands off his torso to turn and face me.

"Are you sure you're not still a bit drunk?" he asks, teasingly, placing a hand on my forehead, the other on my waist.

"No way!" I retort as he pushes a strand of hair behind my ear.

"You still look pretty in last night's dress, even after sleeping in it," he continues. I laugh.

"I keep forgetting that I'm still wearing this," I answer. "I think I'll go get changed."

"Alright, the food should be ready when you get back," replies Kakashi. He briefly hugs me tighter before I head off to my room to change, a smile plastered on my face and my cheeks rosy pink as I close the door behind me.

I change into a tank top and sweat pants, wrapping the blanket around myself before leaving the room once more.

To my surprise, Mara is sitting at the table when I get back.

"G'morning," she groans. She still manages to be The Hot Sister when she's just woken up with messy hair.

"Morning," I reply a little stiffly. Kakashi is taking more ingredients out of the fridge and I realize he's given Mara the first omelet. _**My**_ omelet. Kakashi stays silent as I sit in front of Mara at the table.

"How was your date?" I ask. She's playing with the cut up pieces of egg on her plate.

"Not terrible, got home pretty late though," Mara was never really one to talk about _details_.

"Cool," I comment. The pan sizzles behind me.

"It's real nice of you to come over and make breakfast, Kakashi," chimes Mara. She doesn't know he spent the night... Even though he's looking the opposite way, she bats her eyelashes towards him. It takes all my self control to restrain myself from rolling my eyes.

"Uh, yeah, no problem," he answers, throwing a glance over his shoulder at her.

"By the way, I ran into the Hokage last night. . ." starts Mara, addressing me. I look at her questioningly. "He said to let you know that he has a mission for you, you should go there this morning." As she finishes her sentence, Kakashi places a plate of food in front of me.

"Oh, I'll leave right after breakfast then," I answer as I begin to scarf down the omelet Kakashi made me.

I finish eating just as he finishes cooking an omelet for himself. I get up and go to my room, quickly tying up my hair and grabbing my forehead protector.

"See you later then," I state as I leave the house, not bothering to wait for a reply from either Mara or Kakashi. I hurry down the stairs and head to the Hokage's office.

☆☆☆☆☆

"You've been assigned to assist an escort mission," starts the Hokage. "It's only a C rank mission but it'll help me evaluate your skill level now that you've finished your training and the Chuunin exam."

I nod at his words, awaiting further instructions.

"You will be escorting a merchant to the northern border." He pauses and I wait for him to continue. "I've put you in a three man cell with Saki and Jourin, you'll meet at the North gate in thirty minutes."

A knock is heard at the door. "Come in!" shouts the Third.

A tall man with dark brown hair walks in. He looks as if he can't be much younger than Kakashi but he's clearly pretty wealthy, wearing silky robes.

"Mariko, this is Hiro, the merchant you will be escorting," says the Third as he designates the man. I nod in acknowledgement.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir," I state politely, turning to face him and bowing.

"No need for formalities, please address me as Hiro," he replies, walking towards me and smiling warmly.

"As you wish, si- Hiro," I answer. His smile is so bright and I find myself smiling back at him slightly.

"Mariko, you are dismissed, use the next thirty minutes to pack for your journey while I discuss the details with Hiro," says the Third and I hastily leave the room to head back home.

When I get back, Kakashi and Mara are still in the apartment together. The first thing I hear when I open the door is Mara laughing, and I see the two of them still sitting at the kitchen table over empty plates. Mara is leaning forwards, her head resting in her palm and her fingers twirling a strand of her long, wavy hair. Kakashi is smiling at her, both his arms crossed on the table.

"Oh hey, you're back!" exclaims Kakashi as he takes notice of me. I close the door and head towards my room.

"Yeah, I was assigned a mission, I need to pack," I answer blandly. "And I also need to ask you a favour, Kakashi," I shout from the bedroom.

"What is it?" he replies.

"Could you take care of Mara? I'm going to be gone for a few days and I don't want her to be alone."

"Honestly Haricotte, I'm your older sister, I don't need a babysitter. And in any case, I grew up in Konoha, too," complains Mara.

I walk out of the bedroom, slinging a large backpack over one shoulder.

"As long as you're staying with me, I make the rules," I declare monotonously.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure Mara has company," says Kakashi. I look over at him as he leans back in his chair and stretches, his hands behind his head. The tight shirt he's wearing makes his toned muscles awfully apparent and I catch Mara looking at his chest as well.

"And I'm sure it'll be _very_ good company. . ." adds Mara, batting her eyelashes and leaning further forwards over the table, a smile plastered on her face. I turn away quickly and go into the bathroom to pack toiletries.

As I grab my toothbrush, I can hear the sound of their faint conversation, held in soft, low voices intertwined with moments of gentle laughter mostly coming from my sister.

The thought of leaving her alone with Kakashi for a few days makes me feel uneasy and a bit resentful, especially since I'm aware of her intentions and I know how much she loves getting what she wants. And by the way Kakashi's talking with her it can't be long before she gets him into bed, most likely my bed.

But on the other hand, Kakashi is the only person I can really leave her with while I'm away and I know he'll be good company for her while I'm away.

I can hear all of Mara's flirtatious comments about Kakashi floating through the apartment, but decide to disregard them and focus on packing for the next 15 minutes instead; going into the closet and grabbing my sleeping bag and a blanket as the final items for my trip.

"Alright, I'm off," I start, opening the door. "I should be back in a little less than a week."

"Bye! Be careful and stay safe!" exclaims Mara after me. I glance over at Kakashi who just nods once and waves at me before I leave.

As soon as I close the door I feel disappointed. Was I expecting a better goodbye from Kakashi? Probably, he could've at least said something to me. I trudge down the corridor towards the main staircase, dragging my feet along the way. The sound of a door opening and closing again is heard.

"Mariko, wait!"

I stop and turn around, surprised. Kakashi is walking briskly towards me.

"I didn't say a proper goodbye," he states as he comes up to me, smiling a bit lopsidedly.

"It's alright," I lie, avoiding his gaze and playing with the bracelet around my wrist instead. The bracelet he got me.

"No it's not, you deserve a proper goodbye," he insists.

The next thing I know, his arms are around me in an embrace. I slide my hands to his back and return the hug, closing my eyes and letting myself get lost in the smell of his sweat and pomegranate scented soap. Suddenly, I feel his lips against my forehead.

"Oh!" I exclaim quietly into his chest. I feel my cheeks heating up and find myself very flustered as he moves his hands to my waist.

"Please be cautious and stay safe," he murmurs, resting his chin on top of my head. I grin.

"Don't worry about me I'll be fine," I say, a bit unconvincingly. We break off the hug but I feel his hands dwindle for a few moments longer on my waist and I can't help but want him to keep them there or to hold me again. We stand in front of each other in silence. "I should go, I don't want to be late."

"Of course..." he mumbles. He's looking down at the floor. I put a hand on his shoulder and go on the tips of my toes as I reach up to kiss him on the cheek.

"Thank you for watching over my sister while I'm gone," I start. "And for seeing me off." I look up at him and notice a slightly pink hue brushed onto his cheeks.

"The pleasure is mine," he replies, smiling. He raises a hand and absent-mindedly brushes his fingers on the cheek I kissed him on. I leave the apartment building feeling happy and full of butterflies.


	10. The River

❗tw: there is some fairly mild but kinda graphic blood/injury mention in this chapter❗

By late afternoon, we are well on our way to the Northern border.

As it turns out, all of Hiro's family are merchants and he's the eldest of three children, having only started contributing to the family business two years ago when he turned eighteen. His family sell weapons, more specifically swords, and only of the highest quality craftsmanship. However, for a wealthy merchant Hiro is quite humble. Even his attire of silky, blue robes lacks the usual ornamentation that someone of his high status would usually have to show off their grandeur.

We settle for the night in a small clearing, making a campfire at the center and setting up two tents next to it; Saki and I in one of them and Jourin with Hiro in the other.

"We should reach the river by late morning tomorrow," states Saki, looking over a map in the fire light. "After that it should only take us another two hours until the border."

"Excellent! Everything is going according to schedule then!" exclaims Hiro optimistically.

"In the mean time we all need nutrients and rest," continues Saki, handing each of us one food pill. I swallow mine dry and find myself missing Kakashi's cooking, wishing I could have his french toast instead of this bland food pill.

And then I think of Mara and how Kakashi is with her and taking care of her, just as he had taken care of me when I first got back to Konoha. I bet he's made her pancakes and she's eating it right now.

With a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, I excuse myself and head to bed in silence, thoughts of Kakashi and my sister still swimming through my head.

☆☆☆☆☆

The following morning when I leave the tent, I find that the grass is covered in dew and that the end of a light mist is slowly lifting from the forest.

Jourin is already awake and gives me a fresh cup of tea as we sit around the early morning campfire. We are shortly joined by Hiro, already dressed with his bag packed and over one shoulder as he seats himself.

"Did you sleep alright?" I ask them, sipping my tea.

"Surprisingly well! I don't normally go camping," replies Hiro. Jourin nods in agreement, smiling at Hiro's excitement.

Once Saki wakes up, we each take a food pill before finishing tea and packing up our belongings and the tents, ready for another day of walking.

After thirty minutes of trecking, we reach the edge of a gorge. Over the rocky cliffs lies the roaring river, the water gushing and swirling quickly downstream.

"There's only one bridge across, we'll have to be careful though because these parts are known for bandits," declares Saki as she analyzes the map while we walk. "Hiro, I think it's best if Jourin carries your bag. If we are attacked by bandits, you're the most likely to be targetted and if anything bad does happen we would still be able to deliver the parcel," she adds.

Both of them obey her without question before we continue to the bridge.

When we finally reach it, my stomach lurchs. A thick fog has settled above the water, envelopping the rope bridge and hiding the other side of the gorge.

Jourin tentatively steps onto the first wooden planks of the bridge. The wood cracks unnervingly under his weight, but doesn't snap and he proceeds across, the bridge creaking and swaying as he slowly edges forwards.

Saki and Hiro follow, as do I, albeit a bit reluctantly as I look down at the spiraling mist below. We keep walking.

By now, the fog has completely surrounded us, and it brings with it a heavy and ominous silence, only broken by the sound of the rushing water below.

It happens so suddenly that I don't have time to process what I've witnessed. As Hiro steps onto the next plank, it gives in to his weight and snaps, falling to the water below. The bridge sways violently as Hiro falls, grasping the side rope and making the rope brige bend on a slanted angle.

"Hiro!!!" I exclaim alarmed and I immediately crouch down to try and help him, holding the bridge's rope and reaching down to grab his hand. His hands are slowly turning red and his knuckles are white with the effort of holding on. He swings his free hand up to grab mine.

One second, everything is going smoothly, and the next, it's too late. The force of his movement makes the bridge's rope slack and I lose my grip. Holding only Hiro's hand, I fall below him, the mist swirling around my legs now. The tug of my weight is all it takes for Hiro to let go of the rope and the next thing I know I'm yelling and looking up at the distant faces of Jourin and Saki through the gap in the bridge, until the fog obscures it all.

A chill surrounds my whole body and water begins to fill my nose and mouth as I am plunged deep into the depths of a coursing river, still clutching Hiro's hand so as not to lose him. A sharp pain explodes on my right side as I hit a rock and I cringe in pain. I open my eyes briefly under water only to see a trail of red coming from my waist as the water continues rushing along stream, dragging us along rather harshly.

Hiro tugs on my arm and I turn to look at him as he struggles to swim to the surface against the water's current, pulling me with him.

We break the water's surface, still being dragged down stream by the river.

"Do you think you can make it to the shore?" inquires Hiro, his gaze resting on my injury.

"I can't swim," I confess to him and I can't help but feel pathetic. What kind of rich merchant would want to hire a supposedly skilled ninja only to find out they can't do something as basic as swimming?

"It's okay, swimming would probably put too much strain on your wound anyways," he replies, looking at the cloud of red within the water. He takes my arm and puts it around his shoulders before slowly fighting his way through the coursing water.

Once we reach the narrow shore, Hiro helps me as I stagger to stand up and head towards a flat rock further away from the river.

"Oh shit, oh shit..." he starts repeating, a hint of panic in his voice. I look at him confused before I realize he's staring at my wound again.

I couldn't help it. I looked down to my side at the injury. No wonder Hiro sounded anxious.

"Check Jourin's bag, he's a medical-nin and should have something in there to patch this up for the time being," I state weakly as I sit down on the rock, gripping my side. Hiro begins emptying the backpack recklessly, going through all of its contents. He eventually takes out a small first aid kit. But as I go to take it from him he gently lowers my hand.

"It's okay, I'll do it," he says as he goes through the first aid kit, taking out a roll of bandages and disinfectant. He reaches for the bottom of my shirt but then looks up at me nervously, as if to ask for permission. I lean back in response, making the wound more accessible but wincing at the sharp pain caused by the movement.

Hiro delicately lifts my shirt up to my waist, revealing a pretty nasty gash on my side. He takes a deep breath, and with a look of determination begins to disinfect the raw flesh before continuing on to cover it with the bandages, wrapping them around my waist over the injury.

"Do you have a medical background, Mr. Merchant Doctor?" I comment, trying to lighten the mood as he ties up the end of the bandages. It's perfectly done, even Jourin would approve.

"I only know a bit of first aid," he starts. "My mother taught me when I was young... and when she was still alive..." he adds.

"Oh," I answer, taken aback by this information. "I'm sorry to hear that..." An awkward pause follows.

"It's alright, it happened a long time ago," he replies, looking down at the ground.

"I know what it's like to lose family like that... It's never easy." He looks back up at me, an eyebrow raised questioningly. Before he can inquire anymore on the subject, I say "In any case, what are we going to do now that we've lost the others?"

"Well, Jourin and Saki are going to have to continue to the border to deliver the parcel," he begins.

"I guess the best we can do is head directly to your residence, I'll have to escort you the whole way," I tell him firmly.

"But for now, you're in no fit state to travel," he mentions indicating the bandages with a glance. "We should stay here for now to at least give you some time to rest a bit. I'll set up the tent."

As Hiro proceeds to set up camp on the shore, I use some flint and steel from my own bag to start a campfire before going through our provisions.

"Uh oh," I start. Hiro turns to look at me as he finishes setting up the tent. "Jourin and Saki were carrying the food pills, all we have is a kettle and tea..."

"Guess it'll have to do for now," he replies and as he does I set up the kettle over the fire for tea. Hiro joins me by the fire as we wait for the water to boil.

"I think we should at least wait until tomorrow to see how your injury holds up and if you're up to travelling," he declares and I hum in agreement, my hand softly wavering over the wound.

"Nothing to do but wait now..." I sigh.


	11. The Adventures of Hiro and Mariko

As evening sets in, Hiro and I begin getting quite hungry.

"Tea can't suppress true hunger for this long..." I groan, my stomach rumbling. Hiro nods weakly in agreement.

"We're gonna have to find our own food," he states. "You can stay here while I scavenge for food."

I look at him quizzically. "My injuries don't make me useless, you know." He seems taken aback by my response and hurries to reassure me.

"Oh no! I didn't mean it like that, I just don't want you to worsen it. We can go together in the shallow water to catch some fish if you'd like." At his response, I start to feel bad about acting defensively.

"Yeah okay, and don't worry I won't strain myself too much, I reply.

I grab a small knife from my pack before taking off my shoes and rolling up the bottom of my pants. Hiro does the same and together we tread onto the bank and ease into the chilly water.

There are a few smaller fish making their way through the river and around our legs. I watch as Hiro bends over and tries catching the slippery fish with his bare hands. He catches one or two, using the teapot as a water bucket and putting them inside.

I take my knife and try stabbing at the fish in the water, with only slightly more success than Hiro. As I catch my 4th fish, I spot Hiro struggling with a rather large fish violently flip-flopping between his hands. He loses balance and falls backwards into the water, getting soaked almost head to toe. I laugh at him before heading over to help him up.

"Oh my goodness, are you alright?" I ask. He nods and smiles up at me, taking my hand to get up.

"Ahaha yeah, it was just a small fall," he answers, "and I'm pretty sure we've got enough fish here for a good meal." I agree with him but not before adding that he should dry off so that he doesn't catch cold.

We get out of the water and sit next to the fire. I start putting the food around the fire to cook on sticks and start another pot of tea as well. Hiro grabs an extra pair of clothes from my bag, a big t-shirt and some sweatpants and starts to get changed a but further off. As I'm adding the tea leaves to the hot water, I see him in the corner of my eye pulling off his wet top and pulling on the t-shirt. I immediately look away and pretend to not have seen what I just saw.

But of course I can't help thinking to myself, that Hiro looks _good_. He's a lot better built than I thought for a rich merchant's son.

"Oh shush..." I speak out loud to myself, blushing ever so slightly.

"Shush what?" Repeats Hiro behind me, and I jump as he steps into direct view drying off his tousled hair. He's laid his robes out on the flat rock to dry.

"Nothing, sorry," I start, "I was talking to myself."

"No worries," he laughs, sitting down next to me. I pour us each a cup of tea as we wait for the fish to cook.

When it finishes grilling, we both reach for the same stick and my hand brushes against his. I pull away a bit quickly and look down.

"Sorry, go ahead," I state. He smiles at me as he takes it and I grab the fish next to it. I feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment. 

As we finish eating and the sun slides down behind the horizon, I find myself sharing good conversation with Hiro into the night time. And with the darkness comes the chilly night air.

"You said before that you understood what it's like to lose a parent..." he inquires, his eyes wide and innocently questioning. The question doesn't phase me too much.

"Yeah," I begin, "it's been nearly five years now since my parents died. They were both Jonins and died together on a mission."

"I'm so sorry..." he empathizes. "It was hard to lose my mother, and I can't imagine if I lost my father too. He's taught me and my siblings everything about the trade."

"It's okay now though," I reply. "I've gotten used to living alone."

"You live by yourself?" he asks.

"Yes, my sister gave up ninja training and left to go travelling a year after my parents' death. She didn't come home for a long time but I did meet up with her in a few places while training to become a fully-fledged nin."

"Don't you get lonely?" inquires Hiro, his hand moving to my shoulder in a kind and reassuring way. I look back directly at him.

"Sometimes," I admit, "but I have some good neighbours and friends in the village that keep me company." I think of Kakashi. Then I think of him staying with Mara right now.

A cool breeze picks up and wafts over my skin, sending shivers over my body. Without a word, Hiro moves a little closer to me.

"You have to stay warm, Mariko," he says. "You don't want to get sick, too." I feel a bit embarrassed and my face heats up at his concern.

"I'll be okay, really," I answer, not wanting to say more, though he doesn't move away.

So I do, going to pour us each another cup of tea. The sun is now gone and the campsite is illuminated only by our small fire. I think of heading to bed soon.

I hand Hiro his cup of tea and sit back down next to him, our shoulders touching. It occurs to me that I am in fact a little bit cold and he is actually quite warm. We continue talking over tea, getting ever more sleepy as the time passes and stars begin to come out.

As the fire dies out we retire into the small tent and fall asleep to the sounds of crickets and running water.

☆☆☆☆☆

I wake up the next morning rather early to the sound of birds chirping, my nose and feet are cold from the drop in temperature. Next to me, I can hear Hiro breathing deeply, still fast asleep. I get up and head out of the tent. 

At this time in the morning everything is so peaceful and gorgeous. Warm golden sunlight cascades and reflects off the river and tiny dew drops hang off of every blade of grass. I grab a piece of square cloth and head into the forested area, hoping to find some fruits or berries.

Lucky for me I do end up finding a few blueberries in some small bushes near pine trees. I head back with what little I could find folded and tied neatly into the cloth. By now Hiro is awake and sitting in front of a fire with a cup of tea. 

"Good morning!" I chime as I approach our camp. He turns to me and smiles. "Did you sleep well?" I continue.

"Pretty good," he replies. "It's really nice to wake up to such a nice place," he comments. I nod in agreement before opening the cloth with fruits and offering them to Hiro, who thanks me for them.

After breakfast we decide to pack up and try to get a good bit of road done. My injury doesn't feel as bad as yesterday and I definitely don't expect to let it slow me down one bit.

Since the bridge was only two hours away from the border, I assume that it'll take us until the end of the day to get to Hiro's residence, accounting for the fact that the river brought us at least a kilometer or two down stream. 

On our trek to the border I find out that Hiro actually trained in swordsmanship for three years. He claims to be rusty without any recent practice, but I'm sure having knowledge of sword crafting helps a bit. 

We reach the border by mid afternoon, when Hiro declares that his residence is only three more hours away on foot. Despite hunger and my injury beginning to annoy me, we pursue the path without any break. 

It takes us longer than expected to reach his home, however. As time goes on the gash on my side gradually slows me down more and more. By the time we're actually in view of the house it must be well after supper time and Hiro is helping me get to the door, his arm around my back. 

Hiro is greeted back home with voices of concern and relief from staff at his untimely arrival. The entire house is even more imposing and luxurious indoors than out.

Instead of answering the house staff's voiced concern and questions of his whereabouts, Hiro brings me forward to everyone.

"Never mind all that, we need the family doctor immediately, this girl is hurt badly." It doesn't take long for the others to look down to my side and see the bloodied bandage. They beckon me to follow them and Hiro insists on personally escorting me with them, half carrying my weight.

They lie me down on a futon and it's not long before an older woman and someone who appears to be her daughter step into the room. They are both wearing chic purple robes with embroidery patterns, but the older woman's robes contain gold and pink detail as well. They kneel beside me and the lingering house staff exit the room, leaving me with Hiro and his household doctor.

The old woman wastes no time in tending to my wounds, taking the old bandage off and covering the wound with a wet towel.

"Oouh my, it's a bit worse than I thought. Hiro, you've done a good job protecting the wound up until now but I'm afraid it's still a bit infected." I look down at the towel that is quickly soaking up blood. I didn't think it would still be bleeding like this.

"I did the best I could with what we had, Yasha," states Hiro as she takes the towel off. The skin is so red and raw, I start feeling faint looking at it. The woman named Yasha must notice my uneasiness because she pushes me back down.

"Don't you go getting sick on me," she says, "close your eyes for a bit, little one."  
I do as she says and slowly start to fall asleep as I feel the bandages being changed and a salve being put over the gash.

"One thing's for sure, I don't think she'll be leaving the residence right away," declares Yasha. Someone grabs my hand and it's the last thing I'm conscious of before falling completely asleep.


	12. The Moonlight Garden

I wake up in the middle of the night. I sit up slowly, blinking as my eyes adjust to the darkness. As I look around I notice Hiro asleep on a tatami mat beside me. Next to him is a tray which I assume must be food, covered with a delicate tea towel. _I am_ ** _hungry,_** I think to myself as I slip out of the sheets and crawl around Hiro to reach the tray.

I lift up the tea towel but to my dismay, the bowl on it is empty, all that remains is a small, untouched bread roll. I snatch it and begin eating, shoving it quickly into my mouth with no regard for cleanliness or manners.

I hear a soft giggle that frightens me and turn sharply towards the sound. Hiro is awake and lounging propped up on his elbow as he rubs his sleepy eyes.

"It's funny to watch you eat like a famished hamster," he states still laughing lightly to himself. In the dark, my red cheeks can't give away my embarrassment. "Come with me, I'll take you to the kitchens."

We get up and silently slide open the door, peering down both sides of the hallway before continuing. Hiro goes first and beckons me to follow leaving his hand out for me to take. I grab it and he looks down at me putting a finger to his lips indicating to remain silent. We shuffle along the wooden floor boards through what feels like the longest corridor in the entire world. How many rooms could a house possibly need? Eventually, we turn to the left and head towards a more rustic and regular looking part of the house where we find a rather large kitchen.

Hiro turns on the light and closes the door revealing the pink marble counter tops and gold decorum. Rustic was the wrong word to use to describe this place. He opens the fridge and takes out a similar tray to the one in the bedroom.

"The cooks prepared this for you but no one was sure when you'd wake up," he says. "We can heat it up in the wood stove." I jump up onto the counter to seat myself as he places it in the oven. 

"I don't think we had a chance to tell you before but Saki and Jourin are here as well, they decided to send a messenger pigeon after we fell off the bridge but had to continue on to deliver the package. They received a reply from Konoha, but we arrived only an hour after they had begun to pack to head out and search for us."

The smell of food begins to waft through the room and Hiro kindly takes it out and hands me a warm bowl of noodles with peanut sauce. It tastes a-ma-zing, rich people food is fantastic!

"Have you found out how much longer I'll have to stay here?" I question. He nods.

"About three days," he replies leaning against the counter opposite me. "Saki sent another pigeon to update Konoha on the situation."

"Are you sure it's alright if I stay here for so long? I don't wanna be a burden to anyone here..." I begin saying but Hiro quickly affirms that I should stay.

"You need to regain strength before leaving again and no one here wants to send you off before that, certainly not me." I blush a bit at his words.

"Thank you again, in that case." I keep my reply short and look down at my food to avoid giving anything away with eye contact.

"Hey, listen, if you're up for it I can give you a little tour of the estate during your stay, we have some nice gardens..." he suggests. I glance up and notice Hiro seems a bit awkward, he's looking away from me and seems slightly flustered.

"Sounds great!" I reply looking back up and at him as I finish the bowl.

☆☆☆☆☆

Hiro flicks off the light in the kitchen as I open the door and peer out into the hallway. He comes up behind me and places his hands lightly on my shoulders.

"Careful not to wake up anyone," he whispers, "especially not the night ghouls..." At the mention of ghouls, a shiver goes down my spine and I shudder. 

"That's not funny, Hiro. I may be a shinobi but I still have fears..."

"A shinobi who's afraid of ghosts? I'm sure you've been up against much worse," he comments as we tiptoe into the corridor. I look left and right but both directions look identical, I don't know how anyone could ever navigate in this house, particularly in the dark...

"Maybe not so much scared of ghouls as I am scared of the dark..." I mumble. Behind me, Hiro laughs and then quickly stifles it with the sleeve of his robe. I turn to face him and scowl.

"Sorry, sorry," he says, still trying to hold in his laughter. "I've never heard of a ninja who was afraid of the dark." Regaining his stature, he smiles at me before beckoning me to follow him. I kinda wish he would take my hand again...

"I'm only a little afraid of the dark," I add in a whisper as we return to the room with the futons. Hiro slides the door shut behind us.

"I know it's a bit late but I know one place here that's always bright, even at night," he states, quickly adding, "if you're not too tired." I nod in response and his expression brightens, he seems excited.

Before we leave the room again, Hiro takes out a large kimono for me to wear. It's heavy and warm and as I slide my arms into the sleeves, the silky texture pours over my skin like a flowing stream. I pull it closer around myself and shuffle my feet towards the door, the bottom of the robe trailing on the floor. We exit the room again.

I can barely see Hiro in the obscurity and I reach out in front of me to grab onto the sleeve of his robe, the embroidery pattern noticeable to the touch. To my surprise he stops abruptly and I bump into him as he is turning towards me.

"Are you okay?" he asks and I nod in response. "Okay, stay close," he replies. He stays closer to me as we navigate through the hallway and his hand finds mine in the darkness, helping to lead me along. 

Eventually I am able to make out another sliding door that seems to lead outdoors and when we reach it, we slip on some slippers by the door. I can still only make out silhouettes and shadows in the dim light, but it's now just bright enough to see where Hiro is and where I'm placing my feet. Hiro slides the door open and we go out to the small terrace.

"What do you think?"

The view is breathtaking. The full moon shines down brightly, bathing everything in white light. The leaves on the plants look as though they are made of silver, and the sweet scent of flowers drifts in the wind. 

"Oh wow!!!" I exclaim, looking over the scenery. "It's absolutely gorgeous!" I walk to the edge of the terrace to let the moonlight wash over me. Hiro joins me and steps down from the terrace onto a small stone path. He looks up at me smiling warmly and extends one hand, inviting me to join him. I take it and hop down from the terrace. We walk through the garden in silence, in awe and appreciation of the sight before us, his hand staying in mine. The path twists and turns through bushels of lovely lilies and bluebells, lily-of-the-valley and forget-me-nots brushing our ankles. We arrive at what seems to be the center of the garden, a clearing with a lilac tree on one side and a willow on the other. The moon is shining directly above us. 

"Thank you for showing me such a lovely place," I start, "it feels really mystical, like fairies could live here." 

"It's one of my favourite places," he answers. "I used to come here a lot after my mother passed, that's when I discovered it was so beautiful at night. It's really nice to share that with someone and see them experience the same wonder I felt when I first saw this garden in the moonlight..." 

I look up at him, petals from the lilacs gently flowing down to the ground behind him. His expression is sincere and warm. His hand is warm compared to mine too. My face flushes as I realize just how intimate this moment is with Hiro in the garden, especially because it's a place that he holds dear. He takes my other hand, bringing me back to the moment. I can feel my heart beating hard in my chest. He moves closer to me and I find myself being pulled in by his gaze. Then, his lips touch mine and I find myself kissing him, a slow deep kiss. Then another.

Kissing him?!? I'm supposed to be one of the ninjas protecting him and instead I'm letting myself be seduced by this romantic setting and Hiro's warm eyes and smile... 

Oh shit.... I _did_ let myself be seduced by this handsome merchant... Although technically my mission is over considering I got him home, or rather, he helped me get to his home given the circumstances of my injury. Either way, I want to enjoy the moment.

But other thoughts intrude. _What about Kakashi?_ I had left him before my mission by kissing his cheek. But it couldn't be that serious, and anyway, our connection had always been ambiguous. For the meantime, I still have time to think things through, both about Kakashi and Hiro.

"I hope that was okay..." says Hiro shyly after the kiss, glancing down at the ground. I continue to hold his hands.

"To be honest, I'm a bit confused," I admit, "but I did like it." He smiles a bit and lifts my hand up to kiss it. Very gentleman-like, ouh là là! We walk hand in hand back to the house, hurrying to get in and blushing like young teenagers.


	13. Arrival of a Friend

The next morning when I wake up, Hiro is still asleep on the futon beside me. He looks so peaceful and his breathing is deep and steady. He begins to wake up and peers up at me now, smiling.

"About last night," I begin. "It wasn't bad but it can't happen again. You've become a friend and we live two very different lives, so I think it would be for the best." I feel nervous but I need to address this elephant in the room.

The smile disappears from his face, but he doesn't seem upset. "That's understandable, I agree. I'm sorry for being so forward, but I think you're quite pretty." I let out a small sigh of relief as his tone remains kind and friendly, and his compliment is still quite flattering.

"Okay that's good! I'm really glad we're on the same page about this."

After getting ready, we head towards the dining room, where the sliding doors are opened onto the garden. On a long table in the center is a beautiful breakfast around which are seated Jourin and Saki as well as Hiro's family. His father Hirama sits at the head of the table. On one side are seated the children in order of age, Hiro beside his father. I am sitting in front of the youngest, Hiro's little sister Rika, and in the middle is their brother Hisoke.

Over breakfast, Saki fills me in on the current situation. A messenger pigeon arrived in the middle of the night from Konoha explaining that another ninja would be sent given the situation and the important package we will be transporting. We were not only delivering something but bringing something back as well...

It occurs to me that the meal feels very serious and other than the update that Saki gave me it is quiet. I find it odd for such a large group of people to sit in silence like this but I don't question it. At the end of the meal, we Konoha ninja thank our hosts for the meal and excuse ourselves as the others begin to get up as well.

Because of my injury, I spend most of the day resting, but thankfully being reunited with my comrades includes being with a medical ninja again. Jourin uses ninjutsu to help heal the wound and ease the pain, allowing me to head to the garden in the afternoon. Rika is seated on a bench weaving small clover flowers. I seat myself next to Saki in the sun and breathe in the fresh air, taking in the sight of the colourful garden.

Hiro comes out to join us and when he does his little sister runs up to him to give him the flower crown. Rika shows us all how to weave the flowers and gets us to make wreaths all afternoon, even Hisoke abides albeit a bit stubbornly.

As the sun sets, the garden turns golden and a cool night breeze sets in. The others head inside to avoid the cold and I find myself alone with Hiro, each of us with flowers in our hair.

"The flowers suit you," compliments Hiro. I smile at him.

"Likewise, the white flowers contrast well against your dark hair and robes," I tease in response. I pull my own green kimono closed a little tighter to stay warm against the breeze. Hiro moves beside me and the moon begins to rise as the last rays of sunshine fade over the horizon.

☆☆☆☆☆

**.:Kakashi's POV:.**

It was after 7am when I went to see the Hokage. I thought it only a little strange that I was being summoned at this time.

"I'm sorry to ask this of you on such short notice, but we have a group of shinobi in need of reinforcement. Nothing is dire at the moment, however they were to transport a specialized shinobi sword that many a nation would desire. One of the ninjas sent has been injured therefore you will be sent to ensure top security during the swords' transportation." Sarutobi's face becomes stern and shadowed.

"It is a risk to travel with an injured shinobi, but taking extra time for recovery risks the other nations discovering that we are transporting a powerful weapon. I hope you are able to work out a balance between the two."

After being given final directions and being dismissed I head out, choosing to waste no time and hurry along to my destination, just over the river and past the border...

The day is long when it's spent running along the path but alas there is hope as the air becomes humid and the sound of rushing water is heard. The river must be getting close.

I slowly make my way to the rickety bridge on the edge of the canyon. There is mist coming up off the water and it blocks the view of the opposite shore. I slowly make my way across paying close attention to my footing. Almost half way across I notice some of the wooden panels missing: two of them in a row. Not thinking much of it, I hop over and continue along.

The sun sets and I think I am almost there. I should hope so after running all day.

I'm greeted at the front door by a housekeeper who gives me directions to the room where the other Konoha ninja are staying. I thank him before heading down the first hall.

Although it's no easy task to find... The place is huge and each hallway looks identical to the last. Walking around the estate I try to find the room I was directed to with the other Konoha ninja. Further down the hall I think I hear voices and follow the sound.

"Excuse me..." I start, but I am shocked by the scene I've stumbled upon. I find myself outside and sitting there is Mariko, a crown of flowers on her head and more placed in her hair which is worn down. She's wearing an elegant kimono and the silk reflects the moonlight. Next to her is a tall young man with dark features, but his eyes are soft and he too has flowers in his hair. Their faces are mere inches apart, but by now my presence has interrupted whatever would have followed. Mariko immediately turns at the sound of my voice and stands up abruptly in shock, losing her balance and nearly falling.

"KAKASHI?!? What are you doing here???" She becomes visibly flustered when she realizes who just walked in on this intimate moment.

"I was sent to help out on a mission, only I didn't realize it was your mission I was helping with," I answer. I'm trying to keep my cool but I'm dying to know who this guy is. Was he trying to get intimate with Mariko?

"What about Mara? I asked you to watch over her while I was away."

"Actually, she left the same day you did." I think back to how quickly Mara had left once her sister had gone. I glance over at Mariko and then back at the man with her. Have they already shared an intimate moment?

"That's just like her... Coming and going as she pleases, no warning..." She sighs heavily. "I guess some things never change."

"I was looking for the other Konoha ninja but since I found you, you can fill me in," I state. "Do you know where we're all staying?" At this point the guy beside Mariko stands up as well.

"I-I'll let you guys get down to business, see you in the morning," he says quickly, and I watch him as he goes inside, turning back to look at Mariko before sliding the door shut.

"It's good to see you again," I start saying.

"I wish it were under better circumstances," she replies, shivering as the sky noticeably darkens above us. "When we were crossing the river, there was an accident. Hiro fell and in an effort to save him I fell as well..." she unwraps part of her kimono and shows me the bandages along her side. I stare in shock and can't help but voice my concern and make a fuss.

"Mariko! You have to be more careful!" I exclaim, pulling her into my arms instinctively, "I can't have anything bad happen to you." I notice the words that have just come out of my mouth and pull away trying to reclaim a cool composure as I feel a slight blush rush into my cheeks.

But it's nothing to how flustered Mariko looks after I've hugged her. Her face is a deep pink colour and she seems to be having trouble finding her words.

"I-It's-- I'm--" She looks into my eyes and grounds herself. "It's really not a big deal, and the wound has been healing fairly quickly since Jourin was able to use medical ninjutsu."

"That may be true but in any case I-" I scratch the back of my head and look away from her towards the garden. "I worry about you, and just want you to be safe." I glance back at her after confessing my worry and find her smiling sincerely at me.

"That's sweet, you're sweet."

She leads me down the halls of the estate to the room. Everything is dark until she slides open a door. On the opposite side of the room it leads to is another set of sliding doors, left slightly open allowing moonlight to stream in. Saki and Jourin are already asleep on one side of the room and there are two other futons set up parallel to them. I fall to my knees onto the nearest free futon and lie down. Mariko stays standing and looks out to the moonlight. For the first time I notice the thin embroidery that decorates the bottom and the sleeves of her kimono. The fabric drags a bit on the floor behind her. I watch for a moment before asking her what's up.

"The moon makes all the nature look like it's made of silver..." she mumbles dreamily. I get up to join her by the door. _The moon reflects like silver in your eyes, too_ I'd like to say but I content myself by looking over the enchanting garden instead. She's right, it's really pretty in the white moonlight. But truthfully, it's still her I can't keep my eyes off of.

The cold wind blows into the room and I notice Mariko is trying not to shiver. I step closer to her and put my arm around her.

"Better?" I ask and at first she seems hesitant though she gently leans into me reciprocally. Her breathing is steady but I can feel her rapid heart beat.

Eventually she slides the door closed bringing complete darkness to the room. I feel her turn to face me and I want to kiss her, but instead I gently brush a strand of hair behind her ear, not wanting to give myself away completely. She shuffles over to the futons bringing me with her and lies down next to me, her head leaning towards my shoulder.


	14. Goodbyes

**.:Mariko's POV:.**

We wake up fairly early the next morning. My wound is feeling better and after another quick session with Jourin I'm starting to feel in tip-top shape once more. During this time, Saki and Kakashi go over plans and mission details.

"It's good to have a higher rank ninja with us just in case, but the longer we take to get back to Konoha, the higher the chances are of another nation discovering the sword," starts Saki. "We shouldn't stay here much longer, not to mention it's imposing on the hospitality of these merchants."

"Depending on how Mariko is feeling, I think we should try to leave today. The Hokage is expecting us to return with the sword quickly and efficiently." They both turn to look at me.

"I agree," I say. "And I don't think travelling will be an issue since I'm recovering fast with Jourin's help, though I can't promise I won't be slowed down." Kakashi nods in response.

"It's settled then, I'll address our plans with Hirama this morning at breakfast and we can aim to leave this afternoon."

We make our way as a unit to the dining hall. Once again, there is a beautiful assortment of fruit & bread on the table, accompanied by other delights. Kakashi seats himself by Hirama and across from Hiro. He greets them both and I sit next to him, doing the same and smiling at Hiro who returns a bright grin. I feel Kakashi glance in my direction. Saki sits next to Rika at the opposite end of the table to Hirama and Jourin sits next to her and I. Kakashi takes no time to address Hirama.

"We're sorry for spending such a long time in your home, thank you again for having us. We won't burden you for much longer as we plan on leaving this afternoon." I see a flash of surprise cross Hiro's face. Hirama turns to face him. He is a very stern and composed looking man, and his tone of voice almost shocks me as it is a lot friendlier than his furrowed brows would suggest.

"It's no burden at all, we scarcely receive guests, especially ninja like yourself," he replies. "You didn't arrive here with the others..." he remarks, glancing over at me briefly. I feel put on the spot and try to straighten my posture to appear more formal.

"The Hokage thought it best to send a higher ranking ninja, given the circumstances." As he says the words, Kakashi side eyes me and I feel embarrassed. I look down at my plate and keep my hands on my lap, tightened into fists. Kakashi's hand gently goes over to mine, as if to reassure me that it wasn't my fault. I release my hands from their grip but my cheeks still feel hot. And not only out of embarrassment.

"I'm glad, to be honest," begins Hirama, "the weapon being transported back to Konoha is very... special... The more ninja guarding it, the better." The way Hirama speaks of the weapon piques my interest. What's so special about it? It must be quite exquisite...not to mention expensive.

"Enough about serious matters, please, eat!" states Hirama, gesturing at the table with a smile. As if on cue, all his children begin helping themselves to the spread of food. I had barely even noticed that we were all waiting for the conversation to be over before starting. Really goes to show just how different this lifestyle is.

"You haven't met my children yet," remarks Hirama to Kakashi. "Rika is the youngest and my only daughter, Hisoke the middle child, and Hiro, my eldest." He designates them by hand as he introduces them. I notice Kakashi's gaze resting on Hiro. He nods in his direction but I can't help but notice his eyes seem blank as he does. Hiro smiles at him.

"Nice to be formally introduced to you," he says cheerily, but Kakashi's response comes out cold.

"Likewise."

I wonder if anyone else can feel the tension in the air. In an effort to be normal, I start piling my plate with bread and fruit, stuffing my mouth to avoid talking. Kakashi dismisses Hiro and instead speaks with Hirama, assuring him of the weapon's safety with our troupe and asking him questions about the craftsmanship. He steals a glance at Hiro from time to time and some at me as well. Slowly, I feel his hand slide off mine to rest instead on my knee.

"This weapon must be made of some special material to be valued so highly..." he comments to Hirama. His hand moves up my leg and I choke on my bite of food. What is he playing at?

"It has special properties related to chakra and jutsu," he replies. "It's made from the minerals collected in a fallen meteorite." Kakashi's fingers brush over my thigh and I start feeling as though butterflies are slowly infesting my stomach. Despite what he's doing under the table, he seems as calm and cool as ever, especially while maintaining conversation.

"What kind of properties exactly?" he presses on. His voice is all business, but his hand, still inching up my leg, is all play. I look over in his direction and we make brief eye contact. Even with his bandana covering one eye, I _swear_ I saw him wink.

"It has the power to absorb the chakra of a jutsu and bounce it back, essentially increasing the power of the sword." Everyone at the table turns to Hirama after he says this. It's no wonder the Hokage wanted this to seem like a low profile mission, if any enemy nations discovered a sword with such power was being transported to Konoha...

"Very intriguing... Well, as previously stated, you can trust that we will get it securely to Konoha." Kakashi grips my thigh underneath the table. His warm hand pressing against my leg makes me jump and my knee hits the top of the table. Everyone now turns to me.

"Sorry, I-" I start saying. I can _feel_ Kakashi smirking underneath his mask. "Excuse me one moment," I stammer before getting up as quietly, quickly, and politely possible.

I leave and stand in the hall to collect myself, letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding. What the _hell_ was **that**?? I can't believe Kakashi would tease me like that and in such a formal and public setting nonetheless. I steady my breathing to decrease my heart rate and smooth out my clothes before going back into the room.

Thankfully, no one seems to have taken notice of my odd behaviour. I seat myself back down leaning slightly more towards Jourin in an effort to avoid Kakashi's stray hand.

After the meal, we all leave to go pack. As Jourin and Saki walk ahead of us, I grab Kakashi by the wrist, holding him back in order to talk to him.

"What are you up to?" I whisper sternly, not wanting someone to overhear. He raises his eyebrow at me. 

"I haven't the slightest idea what you mean," he answers nonchalantly. I grimace.

"Don't act like you haven't got a clue!" I exclaim rather harshly. 

"No need to get so worked up, Haricotte." Great. While I was away Mara got him to start using my embarrassing nickname. I feel my face heating up.

"Although it's pretty cute," he adds. I blush harder but I keep standing my ground.

"It's not professional, what if someone had seen? Besides, you made me embarrass myself by hitting the table."

"You're not wrong and I'm sorry for that," he admits. "But no one noticed and I liked getting you flustered." I feel my face getting hot. The butterflies from earlier are swarming now.

"Who said anything about being flustered?!" I say defensively trying to mask the fact that he's right and I _am_. Kakashi just laughs.

"Well, mostly your reactions." He gets closer and puts his arm around me, holding me firmly with his hand against my back. I put my arms up on his chest. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, _fuck_. It's been a hot minute since I was so close to him. And he still smells good, like sandalwood and-

"See? You're blushing," he starts, keeping eye contact. "And your heart is beating fast." He ends his remark by glancing down at my lips. I wonder if he wants to kiss me. I want him to. And I don't want him to take his warm hand off my back.

The next moment, he pulls away. Fuck. I fell for his charades. He was just trying to prove he could get me worked up.

He follows up. "Ready to catch up with the others?" and as I mumble in agreement, I catch his gaze lingering on my lips.

☆☆☆☆☆

After packing and while the others are doing inventory, I quietly go out of the room and start heading down the hallway. I'm hoping to get one last stroll in the garden before leaving.

The air outdoors is not too hot and from what I can tell the garden is empty. I take my time and step lightly on the rocks as I make my way further into the flowers and brush. I wind my way to the center where the lilac and willow trees are.

Sitting under the shade of the willow tree and taking in the scent of lilac in the breeze reminds me of being with Hiro in the garden. 

As though by manifestation, Hiro walks into the clearing. I wave at him as we make eye contact.

"Hiro, how are you?" I ask candidly. He smiles that sunshine smile.

"Not too bad," he starts. "Although it feels as though you're leaving as fast as you came."

"But I'm glad I had the chance to meet you," he adds. "And I wanted to give you something before you go." He reaches into his pocket and takes out a kunai, the blade of which is sleek and silver. Engraved on the handle are the words "to get through the dark". I take it in both hands and admire it.

Hiro continues. "I thought it could be something useful for you as a ninja, and since you said you were scared of the dark I thought the engraving was good, you know like a reminder you can get through things when you're in the face of danger and--" 

"It's beautiful, and very thoughtful of you," I say, cutting off his rambling. Hiro's face is flushed with colour and he is avoiding eye contact. I give a small bow. "Thank you, I'll cherish it." I lean towards him and give him a hug.

At that moment we are interrupted. I hear someone clear their throat and pull away from Hiro, turning towards the sound only to find Kakashi standing in the clearing. He's holding his book and we make eye contact right before he looks down, focusing on the pages.

"Sorry to interrupt at a bad time," he states, his voice sounding monotone and forced. His cheeks look heated and I catch him stealing another glance before quickly returning to his book. "Mariko, we're ready to leave."

"Well then you actually have perfect timing, because I was just saying goodbye to Hiro," I reply. He glances up from his book at Hiro.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, though it was brief," he musters. "C'mon, let's go," he says addressing me as he begins to walk away. I wave one last goodbye to Hiro before catching up with Kakashi.

"You don't have to be so grumpy, you know," I tell him. His eyes remain fixed on his book. 

"Whatever."


	15. Reconciliation

We leave fairly quickly afterwards. Kakashi acts as formal as ever in the group, keeping his mind solely on the mission. He doesn't even join into the friendly conversation with Saki and Jourin, except to chime in that we need to stay alert.

☆☆☆☆☆

We set up camp for the night under thick trees. The sun is almost completely gone behind the hills by now and after quickly and efficiently setting up two tents, Jourin starts a fire and puts a kettle on for tea. Still feeling tension in the group caused by mine and Kakashi's awkward silence, I announce that I am going on a quick walk under the guise of scouting out the area to check if all is safe. Really though, I just need to clear my head a bit.

I speed walk away and weave my way through the trees, following the sound of rushing water. Eventually I reach the edge of the gorge. Sitting near the edge of the cliff, I take out the kunai Hiro gave me and examine it again. Even in the dim light of dusk, it still gleams silver.

"Don't want you falling in again," says a voice behind me. I turn around abruptly, the kunai in hand at the ready, but only find Kakashi standing a little further off. "Besides, you shouldn't be scouting the area alone, wounded or not," he adds.

"Well I certainly didn't expect you to be here," I answer. He comes towards me and joins me on the edge of the cliff.

"Saki convinced me to check up on you, though I'm pretty sure she wants me to smooth things over..." He scratches the back of his head and glances away. "Sorry for being weird and quiet and distant... I-" He stops and seems to be figuring out how to phrase the rest of his thoughts. "I didn't mean to come off as overprotective or possessive of you around Hiro...or to give him the cold shoulder..." he trails off, not making eye contact.

I am a bit taken aback to hear him admit it, though I am glad he can. I ruminate on the thought of Kakashi being protective and possessive of me... My face heats up and I find myself kind of pleased at the idea of it. 

"It's okay, I don't think Hiro noticed much or took it to heart. Here, look at the kunai he gave me." I hand him the silver blade.

"This is really lovely craftsmanship..." he says, turning it in his hand. "I'm kind of regretting not becoming his friend now, I would have liked to receive a new kunai," he jokes. I'm happy to hear him make light of it now. "Why does it say 'to get through the dark'?" he asks.

"Oh uhh," I hesitate. Kakashi is a friend too, but admitting to another ninja that I am scared of the dark is a bit embarrassing. Not only can I not swim but my fears are those of a child...

"Well," I begin. "I am scared of the dark," I say mechanically. "Hiro found out and that's why the engraving is on the blade." Kakashi laughs.

"You never told me you were scared of the dark!" I pout and look away.

"It never came up!" I say defensively, crossing my arms. He puts his hand on my shoulder reassuringly, still laughing lightly. I turn to him, my shoulders falling as I relax. We sit in silence for a moment before I ask:

"Hey Kakashi..." He turns to face me, his hand unmoved. I'm scared to question it but I need to clear the air, I need an answer. "This morning at breakfast...what was that _really_?"

It seems now I've taken him by surprise. I don't know what he was thinking if he thought he could get away with being an _absolute **flirt**_ all the time and not have to explain himself. It's been weeks now that we've had more than friendly exchanges.

"Um..." he begins. He swiftly takes his hand off of my shoulder and it goes to the back of his head as he tries to think up a response. 

"Do you like me?" I ask him directly now. Despite his usual mature and cool air he appears to be rather taken aback by my directness. _You can't get out of this one now, cool guy_.

"What if I do?" he throws the question back in my court. I don't respond and instead think about how he made me feel earlier today. The butterflies, the blushing... It all leads me to a conclusion I'm not sure I want to face. Have a really fallen for him? I think about how much I wanted him to kiss me earlier. 

I think about how he didn't. 

"Well, it's damn confusing whether you do or not." I stare down to avoid looking at him directly. Quite hypocritical of me to want him to admit to something I won't admit either. A second goes by before he addresses me again.

"Hey." I turn to face him once more. He's pulled his mask down below his chin. His other hand goes to the back of my neck and he leans gently forward. I look at him and then down at his lips. "Only if you want to..." he musters. 

Before I can close the space between us we're interrupted.

"Hey! Is everything good guys?" yells Saki as she jogs towards us from a few paces away. We startle and quickly move away from each other. Kakashi's mask is back on before I can even blink.

"Hey Saki! Yep, all seems good. We can head back to camp." I stand up and brush some grass off my pants, smoothing out the fabric and trying to appear extra casual. I turn to Kakashi and offer him a hand, which he takes. I help pull him up but before he lets go off my hand, his thumb brushes over mine, and we exchange a brief moment as I fix my gaze on his.

We follow Saki back to camp as she hands us each a food pill and tells us that the tea Jourin was making is ready.

After our conversation, the atmosphere with the group is more serene. Kakashi is able to joke around with us as we drink tea around a small campfire. He sits beside me and although we avoid addressing each other directly, I catch him stealing glances at me from time to time. Which is to say he also caught _me_ stealing glances at _him_. As the fire dies down, we all head off to sleep, planning an early morning the next day.

☆☆☆☆☆

The following morning, I wake up groggy and a little stiff. Physical activity and injury do _not_ mix. Jourin works a bit of his medical-nin mojo before we leave early to get a head start on our return journey. We should get back to Konoha today.

We cross the river again on the rope bridge. The others go across first, with Kakashi ahead of me. About 2/3 of the way across, I see the missing planks where Hiro and I fell. I stop and stare at it for a moment.

"You okay?" 

I look up and see Kakashi who has turned around to face me. I nod, but as I hesitate, he reaches out his arm. I take his hand gently and hop over the gap, landing in his arms and against his chest. We're standing on the same plank. I blush at the close proximity and embarrassed, I attempt to take a step back away from him. He firmly pulls me towards him, my body pressed against his. 

"Did you forget about what happened the last time you fell here?" he asks teasingly. I turn my head to see the gap in the bridge on my heels, the mist swirling its way up. I turn back to face him. 

"Thanks, I owe you," I say. We stay close to each other a moment longer before he steps back onto the next plank, still holding my hand to pull me along. I step forward and letting go of his hand we hurry to join the others, but I find myself looking back at the bridge and at the path in the distance one last time...

As the day carries on I do my best to not trail behind and finally at golden hour we arrive at the Village gates. 

The first thing we do is go see the Hokage. Kakashi gives the report, delivering the sword and Jourin further updates the report of my injury. I pipe in that I am much better and fit to continue carrying out training and duties. We are dismissed not long after, all of us getting a day of rest before being assigned new missions. On our way out, the last thing I see is the Hokage wrapping the special sword in silk and locking it away in a chest...

Kakashi and I walk home together.

"Gosh, I'm sooo tired," I yawn, stretching my arms out. My shoulders hurt from this backpack. "I can't wait to make a packet of instant ramen. Quick and easy."

"You need something with actual nutrition value after a mission, Mariko," replies Kakashi, rational and responsible as always. "Especially considering the state you're in."

"Now that's almost plain rude," I retort in a teasing manner. "I'm too exhausted to cook."

"Then allow me."

"But you must be tired too," I say. "If anything maybe I should make instant noodles for the both of us." He chuckles lightly.

We head upstairs to our respectful apartments and the first thing I do is head to the bedroom and drop my bag to the floor with a loud thump. I hurriedly pull of my sweaty mission clothes, not even bothering the properly put them in the hamper. I pull on a large t-shirt, ignorant to the concept of pants. Being home is _**wonderful**_.

I head to the kitchen and put a pot of water to boil on the stove. I find myself taking out two packages and two bowls. 

"Kakashi! Do you want my ramen offer or not?!" I exclaim loudly, knowing he will likely hear me through the thin walls of this building.

"Why not." I hear quietly from the other side of the wall. Got to love that lack of insulation. 

The noodles cook in five minutes and I stir in the flavour powder. I pour some into each of the bowls, grab two sets of utensils and put everything on a tray. I head to the balcony, placing the tray on the chair before knocking on Kakashi's door. He opens it a few seconds later, wearing only dark grey sweatpants. I feel colour flush to my face as I find myself admiring him. Though I can't be one to judge his clothing, or lack thereof, considering I'm wearing a shirt as a dress. In his hands he's holding a plate with fried beef, two ramen eggs, and steamed bok choy.

"Have to make it healthy somehow," he comments. 

We sit on the ground and dress our ramen bowls with the toppings. It feels so natural to be here, like this, with him, watching the sunset through our jungle of a balcony. We eat and laugh until the night falls, following it up with a cup of tea as we watch the stars appear one by one.

It only starts getting real cold after midnight, when the heat absorbed by the ground in the sun has gone. Kakashi and I sit side by side against the brick of the building, with our legs extended and our shoulders touching. I appreciate being able to feel his body heat as the air cools, and I bring my legs up to my chest to keep warm. 

"Maybe it's getting to be time to head in if you're getting cold..." he says. I frown, reluctant to leave his side.

"Nah, I'm good right here..." I reply, hoping he'll take the hint. When he doesn't, I let my head fall onto his shoulder. The movement takes him by surprise and I hear him take a quiet sharp breath. I have to admit, I've never felt this way about anyone and I'm not sure how to tell him how I feel.

Maybe I can show him. 

"Hey Kakashi," I start. He sleepily hums in response. His visible eye is closed and his head is resting back against the wall. I move from his side and clamber on top of him, sitting in his lap.

"Hmm, Mariko, what are you doing?" he questions, rubbing his eye, his other hand going to rest on my leg. 

"What I should've done last night." I gently pull down his mask with both my hands. Then, I lean towards him and press my lips against his.


	16. Boyfriend

I wake up early the following morning, the bed sheets sprawled about and twisted around my legs. It must be around seven because the streets are still fairly calm and the sounds of birds chirping waft through the open window. I groggily roll out of bed and stretch, it's always nice to sleep at home and on a real bed after a mission. As I walk into the kitchen I see the tray I had brought out on the balcony last night with two empty tea cups. I blush and feel butterflies in my stomach as I think back to last night. 

_He kissed me back!_ I think to myself as I absent-mindedly start taking ingredients out. Flour, sugar, cinnamon, butter, eggs, shortening... 

At seven in the morning, I am making an apple pie, caught in the daze of falling for someone and going over the events of last night in my mind. 

_I felt him kiss me back when I pressed my lips on his, his hand softly gripping my thigh. We pulled away and gazed at each other briefly before he quickly kissed me again._

_"Just had to be sure this wasn't a dream," he says. I giggle._

_"Why would it be a dream? Unless you've been having dreams about me..." I reply teasingly._

I take a quick shower while the pie bakes, still reliving the sensation of his mouth against mine. I brush my fingers over my lips thinking of it. 

The wound from the mission is looking a lot better and I decide that it would be a good day to do some chakra training, nothing too intensive. After getting dressed in a grey t-shirt and some sweats, I hear a knock at the door. 

"Coming!" I yell across the flat, sliding on the wood floors as I rush to answer. I open the door to find Kakashi standing there in a sleeveless shirt and without a mask. Instead, he is using his book to cover the bottom half of his face as he reads.

"Wow, you would risk leaving your place without your mask to come see me? I'm flattered," I joke. He grins as he closes the book and puts it in his pocket.

"Well, I was kind of hoping you would kiss me again," he answers flirtatiously. I grab his hands and pull him inside, closing the door. He softly puts one hand on my waist and brings the other to my neck. Placing my hands shyly on his shoulders, we kiss. I can feel that my face is pink. When he pulls away, we look at each other and both smile cheesily. 

"By the way," he starts. "Are you baking? I came by because I could smell apple pie from my apartment."

"Oh! Thank you for reminding me!" I go quickly to the stove, grabbing a tea towel to take the pie out of the oven. The smell of cinnamon and apples in the room is even stronger than before.

"I didn't know you could bake, any kind of cooking is very unlike you, Haricotte." Damn, that nickname again. I don't think I will ever get rid of it. 

"I was quite dazed when I made it to be honest," I reply. "But um, it's for you." He looks at me surprised but grateful and I turn away shyly, avoiding his gaze.

"That's so sweet of you, thank you!" he exclaims, coming up to me and kissing me on the forehead. I blush. I'm just not used to showing him affection so readily yet.

"Hey Mariko," he says, looking serious all of a sudden. I look at him intrigued. "I know I'm a few years older than you, and I want you to know that we can take things at your pace. I don't want you to feel pressured to do anything you aren't ready for or comfortable with." He looks a little flustered.

"Thanks 'kashi, I really appreciate you acknowledging that and being understanding and accommodating." I smile up at him. "But try not to worry about it, I'll be good."

"Okay okay, I just wanted to check in." 

"Did you have any plans for the day?" He questions resting his arms on my waist as I rest mine on his shoulders.

"Yeah, actually, I was going to go out and do some training."

"What do you mean 'training'? Only a few days ago you were injured," he answers.

"I'm in tip-top shape, actually," I throw back. "And I've got to keep it that way. It's not like I'm going to strain myself doing chakra control."

"If you say so," he says skeptically.

"What about you, anything planned?" I ask.

"I have to debrief Team 7 on some things but that's about it. Maybe I'll try to come find you later."

"Sounds good." 

☆☆☆☆☆

**.:Kakashi's POV:.**

I couldn't get her out of my head. I never would have expected her to be so forward like that and make the first move, but in the end I figured it was best this way and that I would let her take the lead. 

I was so tired I barely had time to process her being on top of me before she was kissing me, too. Not that I had any objections. After saying goodnight though, I couldn't fall asleep. Thoughts of her were racing in my mind. Sure, we'd shared a bed before but I don't think we'd ever purposefully been that close or intimate with each other. My face feels hot as I play the night over in my mind.

I tried reading Icha Icha Paradise to distract myself but all I could do is picture her as I read it, I could feel my cheeks heating up.

I tried taking a shower, but that didn't work wonderfully either. Instead, it lead me to think of what her hands felt like against my bare skin and how effortlessly hot she looked in just a t-shirt. By the time I got out, I would have rather been in the shower with her...

Finally, in a last ditch attempt to fall asleep and distract myself, I made some chamomile tea. It thankfully did make me sleepier, especially after a hot shower. But as my eyelids became heavy on the brink of sleep, she was still on my mind, her words echoing in my mind. _Unless you've been having dreams about me..._

 _Yeah, maybe daydreams,_ I thought to myself before drifting to sleep.

The following morning, I woke up to the smell of apple strudel. Wanting to investigate, I went next door to get Mariko. Surprisingly, the delicious smell was coming from her apartment. 

Kissing her again in the morning was the best part. Eating the apple pie with her for breakfast was a close second. As she left to go train, I went back to my place, bringing the rest of the pie with me. I got ready to meet Team 7, taking my sweet time. 

☆☆☆☆☆

"Kakashi-sensei!" Yells Naruto as he spots me.

"Yo! Sorry I'm late, I got lost on the road of life." 

"No you didn't!" exclaims Sakura, equally annoyed. "You ask us to meet you super early and show up three hours late yourself, I didn't have enough time to brush my hair this morning!"

"There are more important things in a ninja's life, Sakura..." I answer, slightly discourage. "In any case, I asked to meet you because I have some exciting news." They all look up at me expectantly. "The Chuunin exam is coming up and I've decided to enroll Team 7." 

Naruto jumps into my arms at the news. "Are you for real, Kakashi-sensei?? Oh boy! I can't wait!!!" 

"Careful now, don't drool on me. And don't get too excited, you're still going to have to train very hard in the time leading up to the exam. That is, if you choose to participate. It's still your choice after all." 

Naruto is too absorbed in his enthusiasm to probably hear anything I've just said. He's already talking about how he's going to beat the other participants. 

"Well, you know what you each need to work on. I'll leave you to it, see you!" And before any of them can stop me I've vanished.

Before going to find Mariko, I go back to the Memorial Stone, despite having stopped here on my way to see Team 7. 

"Obito...Rin... who would've thought I'd find luck in love?" I bask in the sun a moment as a breeze brushes by. "I couldn't protect you, but I'm going to do everything I can to protect her. I think you guys would have liked her..." I leave after another half hour, trying not to get too lost in dark thoughts and memories from the past...

I head to the training grounds and find Mariko hanging from a tree branch a few meters off the ground. Only the tips of her fingers are touching the bark and I can see the blue chakra. Her eyes are closed and her brows furrowed in concentration.

"So this is the chakra training you do?" I ask her. She opens her eyes wide and lets out a squeak, taken by surprise. As she startles, she breaks concentration and falls from the tree. I quickly go over to her, catching her in my arms just in time. Still shocked, she puts her arms tightly around my neck.

"You scared me!" she exclaims. As she realizes she's in my arms, her face turns bright pink and she loosens her grip on me, quickly sliding out of my grasp.

"Thanks for catching me..." she musters. She plants a quick kiss on my cheek before looking away again, a small smile on her face.

"My pleasure," I say. "Sorry for breaking your concentration, though. How long had you been hanging like that?"

"Maybe an hour or so..." she answers. "I did some headstands on the water, too." She designates the small pond a few meters off. "I may not be able to swim, but as long as the water is shallow and still, it's not too scary. I just stay close to shore."

"At least I didn't make you fall in the water," I joke and she laughs lightly. "Anything I can do to help you with training?"

"Hmm," she thinks. "Not especially, unless you want to practice close combat with me."

"Marikooo, I thought you said you would only be doing chakra training. You need to take care of yourself, the last thing you need is to be putting more strain on your body."

"Stop fussing over me like a mother hen!" she throws back. "Are you my boyfriend or my supervisor?!" She goes from feisty to visibly astonished, her eyes wide as she registers the words she just said.

"Boyfriend, eh?" I repeat, smirking. She becomes extremely flustered, her face completely red now as she tries to find the words to counter what she's just said.

"I-it wasn't meant l-like that!" she stutters, attempting to recover. But I just find it even cuter. She leans her back against the tree and crosses her arms.

"It can mean whatever you want it to," I reply, raising both my hands, palms out. I move towards her, putting my hand on the tree above her shoulder and leaning in close. "As long as you know you're mine..." A small gasp escapes her lips and her eyes meet my own. I can feel the tension between us. I pull down my mask and slowly lean forward, kissing her gently. She slips one hand around my torso to bring me closer, her other one going to my shoulder. I feel her smile into the kiss before she bites my lip and pulls away. 

"In any case, as your _boyfriend_ , I won't allow you to do taijutsu until you're all better," I tell her. She frowns but ultimately agrees.

"Fine," she answers. "Let's head back home then, the weather is getting too hot to train anyway."

We walk back to the village, stopping to do some errands in the central part of town. I carry the bag in one hand and as we walk, without a word, Mariko timidly slips her hand into mine. The bracelet that I got her all those weeks ago presses against my skin.

That's when I hear: "EEEEHHH Kakashi-sensei?!" I turn around and see Naruto with Sakura.

"Kakashi-sensei! Is this the reason you were late this morning?" questions Sakura eyeing Mariko. "She's so pretty!!!"

"I see, Kakashi-sensei, you're slacking off to spend time with pretty girls!" declares Naruto, pointing a finger at me accusingly.

"Ah-" I feel the blood rushing to my face. I can't let my students think lowly of me. "Well, it's not exactly like that..." I start, pulling my hand away from Mariko's and scratching the back of my head. "Mariko here passed the Chuunin exam a while back and so I went to observe her training." It's not a complete lie but I hope this explanation will help me save face.

"Yeah right!" says Sakura. "Why were you holding her hand then?" I can't get out of this one.

"Oi, oi," pipes up Mariko. "A student should be seen, not heard. And it doesn't look like either of you are training very hard for the exam... it'll kick your ass if you're not well prepared." Both my students look away guiltily. 

"We were getting food first, how are we supposed to train if we're hungry!" retorts Naruto.

"Fair enough," she replies. "Then you better train hard and pass!" She smiles at them and winks with a thumbs up.

"You know it!" calls out Naruto, determined.

"Naruto," I add. "Considering the training I just saw Mariko do, you should focus on chakra control." His determined look fades and is replaced with disappointment. "Ask Sakura to help you or... Actually, where is Sasuke?"

"Sasuke-kun didn't want to come, he said he doesn't want to stop training until the exam. He's so resilient and cool!" revers Sakura. I ponder her words a moment. 

"Well, getting ready for the Chuunin exam also means displaying the qualities of a Chuunin. Remember it isn't only about strength, but also about strategy, resourcefulness, and independence."

On that note, we say our goodbyes and part ways, Mariko waving back at them.

"They seem like some good kids," she states. I nod in response, taking her hand again as we continue walking.

"They still have some ways to go, but they've already improved a lot since I started training them."

"I have no doubt about it," she says, then giggles. "They're bound to be talented with you as their teacher, _Kakashi-sensei_ ," she mocks.

Why do I find it hot when she calls me sensei...


End file.
